Focusing on Gender

An Assessment of Gender Integration in UNFPA Materials

United Nations Population Fund

 FOCUSING ON GENDER

AN ASSESSMENT OF GENDER INTEGRATION

IN UNFPA MATERIALS

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND

ASSESSMENT TEAM

UNFPA Evaluation Adviser: Elena Pozdorovkina

External Gender Consultant: Camillia Fawzi El-Solh

External Gender Consultant: Cynthia Mellon

External Communication Consultant: Patricia Leidl

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CONTENTS

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations………………………………………………………………. 4

Glossary of Basic Gender-Related Concepts………………………………………………………. 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

CHAPTER

ONE INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

TWO FINDINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ………………18

THREE GOOD PRACTICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

FOUR KEY CHALLENGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 33

FIVE WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE ASSESSMENT AND ITS FINDINGS. .38

SIX RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY, PRODUCTION

AND DISSEMINATION OF GENDER-RELATED MATERIALS
AT UNFPA. . . . . . . . ……………………………………………………………. 39

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

I: Terms of Reference
II: Questions for Pre-Assessment Dialogues and Interviews
III: Overview of Survey Responses of UNFPA Staff
IV: Agenda for the Recommendations Development Workshop
V: Definition of Quality Criteria
VI: Definition of Communication Criteria
VII: Selected Indicative Data on Quality of UNFPA Gender-Related Materials
VIII: List of Selected Positive Examples of Documents Identified through the Desk Review
IX: Definition of Utility Criteria
X: Questions for Interviews with Key Stakeholders
XI: List of UNFPA Staff Interviewed
XII: List of Participants in the Recommendations Development Workshop

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LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ADB African Development Bank

CAP Consolidated Appeals Process
CCA Common Country Assessment
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
CESCR Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
CGHR Culture, Gender and Human Rights Branch
CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child
CST Country Support Team
DOS Division for Oversight Services
FWCW Fourth World Conference on Women
GBV Gender-based violence
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ICPD International Conference on Population and Development
IERD Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MISP Minimum Initial Services Package
MYFF Multi-Year Funding Framework
PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
RBM Results-Based Management
RH Reproductive Health
SWAp Sector-Wide Approach
SWP State of World Population
TOR Terms of Reference
TOT Training of Trainers
TSD Technical Support Division
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNHCHR United Nations High Commission for Human Rights
UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women
VAW Violence against women
WHO World Health Organization

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GLOSSARY OF BASIC GENDER-RELATED CONCEPTS

Empowerment Process through which women and men are equally empowered to gain control over
their lives and the choices they are enabled to make irrespective of
socio-economic status, class, ethnicity, race or religious affiliation.

Gender analysis The process of systematically identifying gender-based inequalities in women’s and
men’s roles, needs, priorities, access to and control over resources within a specific
context at a particular point in time. Gender analysis aims at contributing to
understanding implications of planned interventions and their potential outcomes,
taking into account the political, social and economic context within which these
interventions are to be implemented, as well as available resources that are
conducive to implementation.

Gender-analysis frameworks A specific set of tools used for analysis. Various framework models have been
developed, each of which may be flexibly used at different programme and project
cycle stages.

Gender blind Overlooking gender-based differences in women’s and men’s needs, priorities, as
well as access to and control over resources which may reinforce gender bias and
gender inequality.

Gender checklist Provides guidance through posing specific questions that aim to ensure gender has
been mainstreamed in all stages of programme and project assessment, planning,
design and implementation.

Gender division of labour Functions and responsibilities associated with or assigned to women’s and men’s
gender roles. May imply that only men are involved in specific activities not carried
out by women, and vice versa. Changes in socially constructed gender roles may
lead to changes in activities, including both women and men carrying out the
same activities.

Gender equality Sociocultural norms, values, behaviour and attitudes that have implications whether,
and to what extent, women and men have equal status in society, and enjoy the
same rights, opportunities and choices.

Gender equity Fairness and justice in allocation of resources, and in women’s and men’s access to
and control over these resources.

Gender mainstreaming The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned actions,
legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for
making women’s and men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the
design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in
all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally.
The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.
Effective gender mainstreaming requires investment in capacity- and
capability-building.

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Gender relations Socially and culturally defined interactions between men and women influenced
by prevailing norms and values. Asymmetrical gender relations reflect the
dominance of one gender over the other, which historically and universally
tends to be men over women.

Gender role The socially constructed role of women and men, and the social meaning that
societies and communities give to women’s and men’s biological differences.
These roles are influenced by political, economic, cultural, social, religious,
ideological and environmental factors and may vary and are changeable over
time, as well as from one culture, society and community to another.

Gender sensitive Recognition of gender issues and concerns arising from asymmetrical gender
relations and gender-based differences in needs and priorities of women and men
Also referred to as looking through a ‘gender lens’.

Gender-sensitive Results-based management tool for gender-sensitive design, implementation,

logical framework monitoring and managing of programmes. The logframe defines goals,
expected outputs and outcomes as well as activities, each with their specific
set of indicators, as well as assumptions and risks that take account of
unforeseen circumstances.

Gender-sensitive Quantitative and qualitative sex-disaggregated indicators that measure the

monitoring indicators process through which programmes and projects contribute to achieving
equal benefits for both women and men.

Gender tools Operational tools that support the process of gender mainstreaming
and, by implication, contribute to achieving gender equality and
r equity. Gender tools may include gender training, gender analysis,
gender-sensitive advocacy, gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation, as
well as gender-sensitive budgeting and auditing. Gender tools can
i be thematic-specific, e.g., HIV/AIDS, GBV; or sector-specific, e.g.,
h education, health, agriculture.

Sex role l Biological characteristics that women and men are born with and that
are generally permanent.

Women’s empowerment The process through which women are empowered economically,
i socially and politically which in turn contributes to achieving
gender equality and gender equity.

Sources: The glossary presents commonly used definitions in the United Nations system, from: United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (http://www.undp.org/gender), United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) (http://www.unfpa.org/gender), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
(http://www.gender-budget.org ), and The World Bank (http:///www.worldbank.org/gender ). For the definition
of gender mainstreaming, see also ECOSOC, “Gender Mainstreaming. Extract from Report of the Economic
and Social Council for 1997. Chapter IV: Coordination Segment. Coordination of the Policies and Activities of
the Specialized Agencies and Other Bodies of the United Nations System” (A/52/3, 18 September 1997).

6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Achieving gender equality and equity through the empowerment of women is a crucial strategic
goal of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). As population and development thinking
has evolved to include a sound understanding of gender, so, too, have the UNFPA mandate,
policies, programmes and organizational structure. Numerous publications and training materials
produced by UNFPA organizational units have aimed at facilitating an understanding of gender-
related concepts. Yet, the subject of gender remains challenging for UNFPA staff. Many reviews
and evaluations mention the need for more clarity and practical guidance on gender
mainstreaming (see glossary) in programming. This assessment set out to help meet that need. Its
objectives were as follows:

• To assess the quality, packaging and design of gender-related messages being

communicated to UNFPA staff;
• To assess the utility and utilization of these materials by interviewing stakeholders in
UNFPA headquarters and the field;
• To identify good practices to improve the communication of gender concepts and their
mainstreaming into all UNFPA materials; and
• To promote a common understanding of what should be done at the organizational level
to institutionalize strengths and achievements in current practice.

The assessment was conducted using the “appreciative inquiry” approach, which seeks to identify
what works well and what leads to good practices. The ultimate aim was strengthen learning and
organizational development. The assessment consisted of a desk review of UNFPA materials;
interviews, a survey and dialogues with a variety of UNFPA stakeholders in the field and at
headquarters; and a Recommendations Development Workshop. The assessment team consisted
of the evaluation adviser and three external consultants. One external gender consultant reviewed
materials in Arabic, English and French. A short-term Spanish-speaking consultant reviewed
selected documents in Spanish. The third external consultant reviewed 10 publications to assess
their communication style and impact. All three consultants conferred regularly with the Division
for Oversight Services (DOS) evaluation adviser managing the exercise.

B. MAIN FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

1. Quality of UNFPA gender-related materials

The materials covered by the assessment were produced between 1997 and early 2005, a period in
which UNFPA provided many high-quality documents addressing gender as a cross-cutting
factor. Over time, UNFPA refined its approach to gender mainstreaming, including the wider
utilization of a culture-sensitive and rights-based approach. This progress constitutes a potentially
important contribution to meeting gender-related objectives in the Programme of Action of the
International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Multi-Year Funding
Framework (MYFF). It is also conducive to achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and addresses the challenge of implementing human rights instruments such as the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). These
instruments are directly relevant to achieving gender equality through the empowerment of
women (see glossary). UNFPA also produced a wide range of materials for staff and expanded
the mainstreaming of gender in programmes and projects.

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However, the desk review revealed various challenges. Progress in mainstreaming gender in
UNFPA materials was uneven. The quality standards established for this assessment were not
uniformly met in publications on the same subject or over time. For example, some older
materials met the quality standards, whereas more recent ones fell short. Gender-sensitive (see
glossary) language was used inconsistently, whether in English or in non-English materials. The
target audience was sometimes unclear, impeding any assessment of the relevance of gender
messages. Gender analysis (see glossary) was sometimes weak and not integrated into all types of
publications.

2. Utility and utilization

The assessment of utility and utilization was limited to an analysis of views of some of the staff,
expressed during interviews. The staff were familiar with strategic documents, annual reports
and other flagship publications. Throughout UNFPA, however, awareness of good materials
produced by regional and country offices was low. The main constraints to utilization seem to be
a lack of accessibility and the unavailability of pertinent documents, particularly in languages
other than English. Some staff used gender-related materials produced by other United Nations
agencies because those materials better met their needs or were more accessible. Most of the
interviewed staff perceived that UNFPA materials provide insufficient operational guidance to
mainstream gender in their work.

C. RECOMMENDATIONS

The key findings of the desk review, the interviews and the Recommendations Development
Workshop point to the following steps to improve the quality production of gender-related
materials.

To improve the quality of gender mainstreaming in UNFPA materials, the following should
be undertaken:

• Ensure the effective targeting of the intended audience by clearly defining it and making
the presentation relevant to its information needs and interests;
• Disseminate throughout UNFPA a user-friendly checklist based on the quality criteria
developed for this assessment;
• Establish a quality-assurance mechanism so that materials adhere to the quality standards;
• Ensure that all materials use gender-sensitive language and reflect gender analysis; and
• Improve the writing, translation and layout of UNFPA materials, which should include
concise executive summaries useful for advocacy.

To support the utilization of materials, the following should be undertaken:

• Ensure that field staff receive materials on gender concepts, on operational tools for
gender mainstreaming, and on thematic approaches sensitive to gender, culture and human
rights;
• Make quality materials produced in the field available to staff in all regions and
countries;
• Update training materials relevant to capacity-building in gender mainstreaming; and
• Develop a user-friendly UNFPA web site for staff to share their experiences in
integrating gender into UNFPA materials.

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To strengthen the focus on gender in UNFPA, the following broader recommendations
should be considered:

• Develop and disseminate, in United Nations working languages, concise UNFPA position
papers on gender reflecting the Fund’s strategic niche and comparative advantage in this
area;
• Include in gender-training courses a module that clearly links the focus on gender as a
cross-cutting factor with UNFPA gender-related strategic objectives and comparative
advantage;
• Ensure that gender is mainstreamed in induction and training courses and modules; and
• Develop a gender-training strategy that addresses the requirements of UNFPA staff for a
better understanding of gender concepts and their link with culture and human rights.

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CHAPTER ONE -- INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The assessment of UNFPA materials produced from 1997 to early 2005 with respect to their
integration of gender and the extent of gender mainstreaming had the following objectives:

• To assess the quality, packaging and design of gender-related messages being

communicated to UNFPA staff;

• To assess the utility and utilization of these materials1 to the extent possible through
interviewing key stakeholders in UNFPA headquarters and in the field;

• To identify good practices to improve the effectiveness of communicating gender

concepts and their mainstreaming in all UNFPA materials; and

• To promote a common understanding of what should be done at the organizational level

to institutionalize the identified strengths and achievements in current practice.

UNFPA has long been engaged in diverse activities to support gender equality, equity and the
empowerment of women. After the ICPD in 1994 and the Fourth World Conference on Women
(FWCW) in 1995, UNFPA strengthened its commitment to promote gender equality and the
empowerment of women. In 1998, it developed specific policy and programme guidelines to
mainstream gender into organizational operations. The high priority accorded by UNFPA to
gender is reflected in the strengthening of the Technical Support Division (TSD) Gender Branch
(later, the Culture, Gender and Human Rights Branch (CGHR)); appointments of gender and
sociocultural advisers in Country Support Teams (CSTs); and the nomination of gender focal
points in all organizational units. Gender equality and women’s empowerment were adopted as
one of the three strategic goals of the MYFF, while gender concerns were mainstreamed and
captured in the indicators of the other two goals.

Numerous publications, papers, guidelines and training materials produced by UNFPA

organizational units reflect the important recognition of gender equality and the empowerment of
women as being essential to achieving reproductive health and sustainable development. Among
the main purposes of these materials are to facilitate understanding of the concepts and to guide
their translation into practice as well as to contribute to advocacy, policy dialogue and resource
mobilization for advancing programmes on gender.

Despite the growing number and variety of printed materials, the gender area has remained
challenging for UNFPA staff. Reviews, evaluations and reports repeatedly mention the need for
more clarity and practical guidance on gender mainstreaming in programming using a human
rights and a culturally sensitive approach. In 2003, the Programme Committee requested that
DOS conduct a desk review of UNFPA materials to assess the quality and consistency of
messages related to gender. The rationale was that UNFPA gender-related materials should

1
The term “materials” is used here to cover all types of documents—official UNFPA publications, internal
documents, power-point presentations, etc. and, in some cases, documents produced jointly with other
organizations.

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reflect the state of the art in the gender concept and its operationalization in programming. Such
materials are crucial for UNFPA staff to remain up to date on gender-related concepts, gender-
analytical frameworks and gender-mainstreaming tools. These materials should also provide
guidance for designing and implementing programmes, carrying out advocacy, promoting policy
dialogue and mobilizing resources for achieving gender equality through supporting women’s
empowerment. Such materials are a fundamental contribution to achieving the strategic gender
goals of UNFPA as reflected in the ICPD Programme of Action and the MYFF.

B. METHODOLOGY

The assessment was conducted using the “appreciative inquiry” approach, which seeks to identify
what works well and what facilitating factors lead to these good practices. The choice of
assessment methodology was influenced primarily by the intention to conduct a forward-looking
and participatory exercise aimed at identifying good practices and providing qualitative insights
into how gender is mainstreamed in UNFPA materials. Instead of focusing on “problems”, their
causes and solutions, the appreciative inquiry approach discovers the best of what has been done
in the particular area under evaluation. It focuses on illuminating and affirming the factors
leading to success within an organization. It does not ignore problems but reframes problem
statements into a focus on strengths and successes.2

The assessment consisted of a desk review of UNFPA materials; interviews, a survey and
dialogues with a variety of UNFPA stakeholders in the field and at headquarters; and the
Recommendations Development Workshop. The process is described below.

1. Preparing Terms of Reference

The evaluation adviser prepared Terms of Reference (TORs) and discussed them with a reference
group from DOS and the CGHR Branch (see appendix I, Terms of Reference). TORs were
refined in the course of pre-assessment dialogues and interviews with staff who were involved in
the production and utilization of gender-related materials and had an interest in the assessment’s
findings and recommendations, including staff in the CGHR Branch, other branches of TSD, the
geographical divisions, CSTs, country offices and the Information, Executive Board and
Resource Mobilization Division (IERD), represented mainly by gender focal points (see appendix
II, Questions for Pre-Assessment Dialogues and Interviews).

The TORs also benefited from a web-based survey of UNFPA staff (see appendix III, Overview
of Survey Responses of UNFPA Staff). The survey aimed at soliciting information from a variety
of staff categories -- with varying work experiences and duration of employment in the
organization -- concerning gender-related publications, documents and other printed materials
produced by UNFPA.

2
For more information on the appreciative inquiry approach, see, for example, Hallie Preskill and Anne T.
Coghlan, eds., “Using Appreciative Inquiry in Evaluation”, New Directions for Evaluations, a publication
of the American Evaluation Association (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco), No. 100 (Winter 2003).

11
 2. Collecting and sampling materials

The evaluation adviser collected 250 materials, many in English but with a good representation of
materials in Arabic, French and Spanish. The materials were divided into the following six
categories:

• Strategy documents, guidelines and operational tools;

• Training manuals and materials;
• General gender-specific materials;
• Region- and country-specific publications, subdivided into gender-specific and general
materials;

• Annual reports; and

• Other UNFPA publications -- materials that, based on their titles, seemed not to fit into
the above-mentioned categories.

Gender-specific materials included those with explicit references to gender or women in their
titles. All other materials were examined from the perspective of mainstreaming gender concepts
into their content.

As there was no central repository of UNFPA materials, random sampling was not possible.
Given the time and resource constraints, the evaluation adviser and the consultant selected a
sample of 124 materials to be reviewed. These included the following:

• All materials in the categories of strategy documents, guidelines and operational tools;
training manuals and materials; and annual reports;

• All gender-specific materials;

• All materials identified as useful by survey respondents;

• A selection of materials from the remaining categories, representing various dates of

production, thematic and geographic areas, and languages.3

3. Developing criteria

The consultant developed a set of quality assessment criteria. These were pre-tested and refined
during the joint review of five publications by the consultant, evaluation adviser and CGHR
Branch staff (see appendix V, Definition of Quality Criteria).

3
The external gender consultant reviewed materials in Arabic, English and French. A short-term Spanish-
speaking consultant reviewed selected documents in Spanish.

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 a. Quality standard of gender concepts

Gender concepts should be clear in the presentation of the following:

• The perspectives of both men and women;

• The rationale of gender equality, gender equity and links with women’s empowerment;

• Interlinkages between gender inequality and other forms of social, economic and political
inequality;

• The relevance of gender, reproductive health and rights to population dynamics and
poverty with all its complex manifestations and implications;

• The need for multiple strategic interventions at political, economic and legal levels to
achieve gender equality;

• Culture-specific perceptions of masculinity and femininity and their impact on power

relations between men and women in society;

• The relevance of various socio-economic and cultural contexts to dealing with

manifestations of gender inequality; and

• The manner in which complexities of ongoing discourses on gender and development are
defined and discussed, contributing to a shared understanding of the universality of human
rights.

Gender concepts should also reflect coherence in the presentation of gender equality and equity as
a goal, and of gender mainstreaming as the multidimensional process for achieving this goal. This
is reflected, for example, in:

• Using sex-disaggregated data, information and facts to reveal the impact of policies,
programmes and strategies on gender-specific situations, needs, roles and responsibilities;

• Helping readers understand the problems experienced by disadvantaged women or men,

causes of those problems, obstacles to overcoming them and possible solutions;

• Emphasizing the complementarity of the approaches and tools of gender mainstreaming

and of women’s empowerment, respectively;

• Noting the importance of gender awareness and gender-responsive policies and strategies
in tackling gender bias and gaps;

• Utilizing strategies and tools for encouraging male involvement, responsibility and
support for women’s empowerment; and

• Utilizing a rights-based approach that aims at being culturally sensitive and, at the same
time, upholds the universality of human rights.

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 b. Consistency of gender concepts with UNFPA strategic directions

The criterion of consistency of gender concepts with UNFPA strategies implies consistency with
the following:

• The principles and strategies of the 1995 FWCW and its follow-up meetings (Beijing+5
and Beijing+10), as well as CEDAW;

• The ICPD principles and Programme of Action (ICPD+5 and ICPD+10);

• The MDGs, in particular: Goal 1, eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 3, promote
gender equality and empower women; Goal 5, improve maternal health; and Goal 6,
combat HIV/AIDS;

• The UNFPA MYFF goals (all couples and individuals enjoy good reproductive health;
balance between population dynamics and socio-economic development; and achievement
of gender equality and women’s empowerment) and strategies (undertaking advocacy;
strengthening national capacity; building/using the knowledge base; and promoting,
strengthening and coordinating partnerships).

c. Relevance of gender messages to needs and interests of the intended audience

For gender messages to be relevant to needs and interests of the target audience:

• The target audience must be clearly defined;

• The information needs must be thoroughly assessed and addressed in a culturally

sensitive way and within a human rights framework;

• The information specifically for the target audience must be presented in a broad context
demonstrating the complexity of gender issues and the need for a multipronged approach
to proposed solutions;

• The know-how for applying gender concepts in the specific thematic and strategic areas
is clearly spelled out; and

• The terminology must be coherent, and the language, unambiguous and free of academic
jargon.

d. Consistency in the substance of gender-related messages within and across

publications

Consistency of messages would include the following:

• Consistency with the state-of the art understanding at the time a document is published;

• Consistency in the substance of gender-related messages from one document to another,

in particular, those covering the same thematic or technical area and produced at
approximately the same time;

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 • Consistency in the substance of gender-related messages in all pertinent chapters and
sections of a document; and

• The avoidance of gender-neutral or gender-biased language and terminology in the

document, regardless of whether gender is discussed in a separate chapter.

e. Communication style and impact

The media and communication consultant identified the following dimensions for evaluating
communication criteria (see appendix VI: Definition of Communication Criteria):

• Targeting of the intended audience;

• Packaging and design;

• Quality of writing; and

• Typology and layout.

The evaluation adviser, in consultation with the gender consultant, selected 10 publications
related to training, thematic areas of UNFPA operations and the annual State of World Population
(SWP) reports for the media consultant to review.

4. Including stakeholders and a reference group

The assessment process was designed to be highly participatory, with the inclusion of those
organizational units having a vested interest in the inquiry and its findings. The primary
stakeholders were the CGHR and other branches of TSD, CSTs and IERD, as these
organizational units were directly involved in the production of guidelines and publications. The
secondary stakeholders included the main intended users of materials and publications, such as
the geographical divisions and country offices and, through them, national counterparts and other
partners. (See appendix I, section headed “Intended Uses and Users”, concerning the expected
potential use of the findings by stakeholders.)

The pre-assessment dialogues, interviews and survey provided insights into users’ perspectives,
needs and concerns and contributed to finalizing the TORs and refining the methodology. All
materials that respondents considered useful were included in the list for the desk review. The
quality criteria were shared with the reference group and then pre-tested jointly with CGHR
Branch staff. Post-assessment interviews shed light on the stakeholders’ views about the potential
and actual usefulness of materials produced by UNFPA. In addition, in the course of interviews,
participants identified so-called dream products – types of materials that staff would like or need
to strengthen gender mainstreaming in UNFPA operations.4 The stakeholders’ involvement
continued through the entire exercise, including participation in the Recommendations
Development Workshop.

4
The term “dream product” may cover various products and dimensions relevant to quality production of
gender-related materials, effective communication, utility and utilization, as well as to the process of
gender mainstreaming and to the UNFPA strategic goal of achieving gender equality.

15
 5. Collecting and analysing data

a. Desk review

The gender consultant reviewed the quality of the selected materials and presented the results in a
Matrix in the form of comments against each applicable criterion. The Matrix was produced in
April 2005 as a separate output of the appreciative inquiry. For each category of materials listed
in the Matrix, the consultant selected good examples of gender mainstreaming that were
representative in terms of date, region and language. A document was assessed as being a good
example if it did the following:

• Fulfilled one or more criteria and pertinent subcriteria (with “pertinent” defined in terms
of a document’s objective, subject matter and focus);

• Fulfilled, in particular, the first criterion on quality standard of gender concepts; and

• Reflected developments in the discourse on a given subject or thematic area during the
period covered by the desk review.

A total of 82 examples of good practices in gender mainstreaming were identified. A similar

approach was applied to assess the quality of communication in UNFPA gender-related materials.

b. Semi-structured interviews

Upon completion of the desk review, the consultant and evaluation adviser developed a
questionnaire with an attached list of positive examples (see appendix X: Questions for
Interviews with Key Stakeholders). A total of 26 UNFPA staff from both the field and
headquarters were interviewed either face to face or on the telephone using a semi-structured
method (see appendix XI: List of UNFPA Staff Interviewed). These interviews provided a better
understanding of the broader context and, thus, led to the development of more practical and
useful recommendations.

6. Organizing the Recommendations Development Workshop

The final step in implementing the appreciative inquiry was the Recommendations Development
Workshop, held on 2 November 2005. The objective was for UNFPA stakeholders to consider
forward-looking recommendations for strengthening the quality, communication and utility of
UNFPA gender-related materials. (See chapter 6 for recommendations, appendix IV for the
agenda and appendix XII for the list of participants.)

7. Recognizing limitations of the methodology

The methodology employed had several limitations:

• The desk review was conducted solely by external consultants without the use of
“shadow” readers to verify consultants’ ratings against established criteria (except for
several materials to pre-test and refine the criteria);

• Some criteria overlap;

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 • Because of the many variations in objective, focus, intended audience and the time period
during which a particular document was produced, not every criterion identified was
applicable to each and every document; hence, it was left to the discretion of the
consultants which criteria to apply to each document;

• The accurate application of the criterion concerning consistency in messages produced at

approximately the same time (see 3d above) was constrained with respect to undated
materials or the existence of a significant time lag between the production and the
publication of a document;

• In many cases, no target audience was indicated, making it difficult to objectively apply
the third criterion, on “relevance of gender messages to the needs of the intended target
audience”.

• The findings from interviews with staff about the utility and utilization of materials did
not allow an in-depth analysis of this issue. The interviews were designed primarily with
the limited objective of complementing the desk review by identifying the needs (the
“dream products”) of staff in order to develop more practical recommendations.

In the light of the above limitations, “Focusing on Gender” should be considered a qualitative
assessment which represents the views of the three external consultants based on a desk review of
UNFPA materials, combined with extensive consultations with the DOS evaluation adviser
managing this exercise and with UNFPA stakeholders.

17
CHAPTER TWO -- FINDINGS

A. QUALITY OF UNFPA GENDER-RELATED MATERIALS

In total, 82 positive examples of UNFPA gender-related materials were identified.5 As mentioned

above, the 124 documents reviewed constituted a purposeful rather than a random sample of
materials. They were, therefore, not statistically representative. The attempt to produce
quantitative data should thus be viewed with caution and taken only as indicative of the state of
gender mainstreaming in UNFPA materials.6
Table. Materials compiled and reviewed for the assessment
The desk review revealed that 86 per cent All categories Number % of total
of the 124 UNFPA gender-related Total number of 250 100%
materials (all categories) included in the materials compiled
analysis met at least one quality criterion Number of materials 124 49.6%
and 84 per cent met the first criterion on covered by desk review
the quality of gender concepts. Reviewed materials meeting 107 (out of 124) 86.3%
one or more quality criteria
Disaggregating the indicative data by
category of publications (see appendix Reviewed materials meeting 17 (out of 124) 13.7%
VII) reveals that all gender-specific no quality criteria
Reviewed materials meeting 104 (out of 124) 83.7%
materials and training materials reviewed quality criterion number one
met one or more of the quality criteria.
However, the analysis also points to the Source: Appendix VII
need to update and align some of the training materials with the current strategic approach in
UNFPA of addressing interlinkages between gender, culture and human rights.

In the case of annual reports, 88 per cent of the materials reviewed were deemed to have met one
or more quality criteria. For other UNFPA publications, the indicative figure was 85 per cent. In
the category covering strategy documents, guidelines and operational tools, 75 per cent of the
materials met one or more quality criteria. For the materials categorized as general, region- and
country-specific, 67 per cent met one or more of the defined quality criteria.

As indicated earlier, criterion one on “quality standard of gender concepts” was considered
critical because it reflects the rationale of promoting gender equality and the importance of
supporting women’s empowerment to achieve this aim. This is an important objective of the
ICPD and FWCW, as well as of the UNFPA MYFF. It is also an important objective of the
MDGs. As presented in appendix VII, all materials categorized as gender-specific, including
those that are region- and country-specific, met criterion one on quality of gender concepts. The
same applied to training manuals and materials. A total of 88 per cent of the annual reports and

5
See appendix VIII: List of Selected Positive Examples of Documents Identified Through the Desk
Review. These are the selected positive examples presented in the Preliminary Assessment Report (31
May 2005). The Matrix includes other positive examples. Other materials on the list of 250 items not
selected for the desk review may also contain positive examples.
6
See appendix VII: Selected Indicative Data on Quality of UNFPA Gender-Related Materials. “Indicative
data” are data derived from the non-random selection of UNFPA gender-related materials.

18
85 per cent of “other materials” met criterion one. In the case of general region- and country-
specific materials, 56 per cent of the documents reviewed met criterion one.7

The materials that met the first criterion generally reflect conceptual clarity and coherence on the
relevance of gender to achieving UNFPA strategic objectives. They reflect the relevance of
gender as a cross-cutting factor in addressing the UNFPA mandate covering reproductive health
and rights, population and development, and the importance of formulating multipronged
strategic interventions that cover various levels, including the legal sphere, for achieving gender
equality. Where pertinent, these materials contain sex-disaggregated indicators and incorporate
approaches sensitive to culture and human rights.

Overall, UNFPA gender-related materials have important strengths that the organization could
build upon to provide staff with the necessary guidance to support gender mainstreaming in
programme planning and implementation. A multitude of quality documents was produced from
January 1997 to March 2005, the defined time period for the review. Over time, UNFPA refined
its approach to gender mainstreaming, including the wider utilization of a culture-sensitive and
rights-based approach. This progress constitutes a potentially important contribution to the
achievement of UNFPA gender-related objectives as reflected in the ICPD and MYFF. It is also
conducive to the achievement of the MDGs and to addressing the challenge of implementing
human rights instruments such as CEDAW, which are of direct relevance to achieving gender
equality through the empowerment of women.

UNFPA also produced a wide range of materials relevant to staff needs, including training
manuals, gender-sensitive analytical frameworks, guidelines, operational tools and indicators, and
annual reports.

However, the desk review also revealed various challenges that UNFPA faces in its materials and
publications:

• The progress in mainstreaming gender in UNFPA materials was not always consistent
and uniform over the 1997-March 2005 period, and across the materials reviewed;

• Quality standards established for this assessment were not uniformly met in publications
focusing on the same thematic subject. In some cases, older materials covering the same
area met the quality standards in respect of gender mainstreaming, whereas more recent
ones fell short;

• Gender-sensitive language was not always consistently used, whether in English or in

non-English materials;

• The target audience was unclear, hampering assessment of the relevance of gender
messages; and

• Gender analysis was sometimes weak and gender messages unclear.

7
Those deemed not to meet this criterion include documents focusing, for example, on population data
systems and census surveys or on reproductive health. Some documents were issued during the second half
of the 1990s; others were dated post-2000.

19
B. COMMUNICATION CONSIDERATIONS

The 10 selected UNFPA gender-related publications assessed with regards to communication,

packaging and design were well researched, balanced and evidence based, with strong photo
selection and images. For the most part, tables and indexes were well structured, made sense and,
in the case of the global reports, aesthetically pleasing. However, some of the 10 documents
reviewed from the point of view of communication features needed more editing. Unclear
sentence structure resulted in ideas that were not clearly presented.

Typographically, most of the documents reviewed did not meet minimum professional standards.
However, there are positive examples, such as Distance Learning Courses on Population Issues,8
as well as the 2004 document Breaking the Cycle of Transmission: Sexually Transmitted
Infections.9 Both were characterized by good design and professional-caliber typography.

C. UTILITY AND UTILIZATION OF MATERIALS

Interviews were conducted with selected UNFPA stakeholders to complement the desk review
and provide insight into the staff’s perceptions regarding the utility and utilization of UNFPA
gender-related materials.

1. Utility

There was no apparent trend in respect of staff’s familiarity with UNFPA gender-related
documents. Responses tended to vary according to respondents’ position and focus of activities,
as well as the extent of their experience in gender mainstreaming. Overall, awareness of the
documents appeared to be low, other than awareness of strategic documents, annual reports and
documents produced in the respondent’s region. Gender advisers and gender focal points were
more likely to be familiar with various documents, including those specific to their regional areas.
They sometimes used materials produced by other organizations to obtain the required
information, including materials on operational tools for gender mainstreaming. In the view of
some respondents, the utility of UNFPA gender-related documents was limited due to the
following:

• Lack of clarity concerning the intended audience for some documents;

• Limited availability of concise and reader-friendly documents that provide conceptual

clarity and a rationale for gender mainstreaming as well as operational tools and
guidelines for their application; and

• Limited availability of materials that clearly articulate gender as a cross-cutting factor in

activities related to the UNFPA mandate and strategic goals.

Some respondents pointed to the need to update documents regularly, to keep them useful.

8
Distance Learning Courses on Population Issues (Section II, UNFPA, 1999, no. 14).
9
Breaking the Cycle of Transmission: Sexually Transmitted Infections (Section VI, UNFPA, 2004/a, no.
244).

20
 2. Utilization

Respondents mentioned various publications they were familiar with. It was not clear, however,
whether they actually used these materials. Overall, the interviews did not elicit conclusive
responses on clear-cut links between utility and utilization. The documents used tended to be
either programme-linked or pertinent to the thematic area in which the respondent was then
working. Utilization was also linked to documents’ being reader-friendly and useful for advocacy
purposes. Some respondents indicated that utilization is also linked to the availability and
accessibility of materials; others linked utilization to effective capacity-building, specifically
gender training, and also to enforcing a culture of accountability for gender mainstreaming. Still
others linked utilization to knowledge-sharing – in their view, there was no systematic feedback
within the organization on the relevance and usefulness of gender-related materials which would
encourage their use.

In the course of interviews, respondents raised the following points beyond the focus of the
assessment:

• There appeared to be some confusion between, on the one hand, gender mainstreaming as
a process and, on the other hand, the ways in which this process contributes to programme
activities (in line with the UNFPA mandate) that are relevant to achieving gender equality
and equity through the empowerment of women;

• The linkage of gender to culture and human rights has strategic advantages but may
inadvertently risk the dilution of gender messages while addressing these three interlinked
areas;

• There is a perceived absence of a needs-related gender-training strategy, and there is no

mandatory gender training in UNFPA. In addition, training in gender analysis and training
in operationalizing thematic or sector-specific gender-mainstreaming tools should be
differentiated; and

• The UNFPA position on gender equality, as per its mandate, needs to be clarified, along
with the promotion and understanding of how to achieve this strategic goal through gender
mainstreaming.

21
CHAPTER THREE -- GOOD PRACTICES

A. GENDER IN UNFPA MATERIALS

The analysis of documents led to the identification of good practices in addressing gender and
gender mainstreaming that UNFPA should build upon and expand. Some good practices, for
example, those pertaining to UNFPA strategic direction, have a broad application, whereas others
are linked to a particular thematic area such as HIV/AIDS and violence against women (VAW),
or to a specific population group such as youth and the ageing population. The presentation below
of good practices begins with the more general followed by the more specific. For each of the
good practices listed, one or more examples of reviewed materials are presented.10

Good practice 1

• Clearly reflecting in the presentation and analysis -- either explicitly or implicitly – the
guiding principles of the ICPD and FWCW, MDGs and MYFF goals and strategies.

One example of this good practice is the “UNFPA Strategic Direction. Positioning Statement”
(2002).11 The document refers explicitly to the link between, on the one hand, gender equality and
women’s empowerment and, on the other hand, reproductive health in general and the thematic
areas of HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence (GBV), identified as being the ‘most pressing
global concerns’ (p. 4). Equally crucial, the document links UNFPA programme performance to
the implementation of the ICPD, MDGs, CEDAW and MYFF, as well as broader policy
approaches, such as Sector-Wide Approaches (SWAps), Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
(PRSPs) and the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP). The document mentions the need for “in-
house and partners’ capacity for gender analysis and mainstreaming” (p. 11); the need to avoid a
“compartmentalized approach” to gender (p. 15); and the need to mainstream gender in advocacy
activities (p. 14).

The “UNFPA Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF) 2004-2007” is another example.12 This
document identifies gender equality and the empowerment of women as a distinct goal even as
gender is, at the same time, mainstreamed into other goals, for example, reproductive health (pp.
9-11) and population and development (pp. 12-14).13 The document explicitly links MYFF
gender outcomes and the MDGs; mentions the need to integrate UNFPA programmes into a
broader context of poverty reduction through the PRSPs; and recognizes the importance of

10
Many more examples could be cited for each good practice, but, for reasons of space, the examples had
to be limited. The selection of positive examples presented here takes into account the extent to which they
are representative in subject focus, thematic areas, region and language. The selection also takes into
account documents cited by key stakeholders during the interviews.
The reference indicated for the document cited follows the categorization and document numbering in
appendix VIII: Comprehensive List of UNFPA Gender-Related Documents in the Preliminary Assessment
Report, Final Draft, 31 May 2005.
11
“UNFPA Strategic Direction. Positioning Statement” (Section I, UNFPA 2002, document number 5).
12
“Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF) 2004-2007.” Report of Executive Director (Section I, UNFPA
2003/b, no. 7).
13
Other positive examples include: Population and the Millennium Development Goals. UNFPA Report
(Section IV, UNFPA, 2003/e, no. 235), and “Adding It Up: The Benefits of Investing in Sexual and
Reproductive Health Care” (Section VI, UNFPA, 2003/a, no. 231).

22
development cooperation and agency policy dialogue. It also refers to the changing international
context and to the implications of conflict and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Good practice 2

• Providing operational guidance in achieving UNFPA strategic goals and contributing to

women’s empowerment through culturally sensitive and rights-based approaches.

The 1999 document An Operational Tool on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) for UNFPA Programmes14 singles An Operational
Tool on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) for UNFPA Programmes singles out CEDAW articles of special relevance to the
UNFPA mandate. Although the document pre-dates the MDGs and MYFF, it continues to be
relevant to the latter in terms of population and development strategies, reproductive health and
sexual health as well as advocacy promotion. Equally important, the document remains relevant
to the UNFPA rights-based approach. It provides UNFPA staff with a list of “frequently asked
questions” (FAQs) that are a useful tool for integrating CEDAW articles and recommendations
into UNFPA programme activities and outreach work. At the same time, these questions reinforce
the importance of the rights-based approach the promoting gender equality through the
empowerment of women. Equally useful is the Matrix UNFPA Entry Points in the CEDAW
Reporting Process (Part V).

Another positive example is Working From Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches (2004).15
Each country example in this report focuses on a specific thematic area, covering the complexity
of issues relevant to a culturally sensitive approach to programming. The report also incorporates
a human rights dimension, with, for example, explicit reference to the link between human rights
and gender equity in the section “Principles for Working from Within” (p. 3). The report points
out what has worked well and less well within specific country contexts. It provides an overview
of lessons learned, and its emphasis on advocacy links the document explicitly to MYFF.

“Guidelines/Checklists for Mainstreaming Culture, Gender and Human Rights in Planning and
Programming Processes ” (2004), produced by CST Harare, provides concise definitions of the
concept of gender as well as of the rationale for and approaches to gender mainstreaming, with
implications for addressing women’s empowerment. The document also provides UNFPA
programme staff with valuable techniques, such as gender-sensitive budgeting, and monitoring
and evaluation indicators. Especially useful are two lists, one of questions to help eliminate
gender bias in programmes and the other of gender-specific issues that programme managers
need to keep in mind to ensure effective gender mainstreaming.16

Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organizations (2004) stresses the
importance of making a distinction between “cultures as broad ethical and value systems” and
“harmful traditional practices” (p. 6) and provides important entry points for gender
mainstreaming.17 The essential message of this document is that culturally sensitive programming

14
An Operational Tool on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) for UNFPA Programmes (Section I, UNFPA, 1999, no. 2).
15
Working From Within: Culturally Sensitive Approaches (Section IV/B, UNFPA 2004/o, no. 185).
16
“Guidelines/Checklists for Mainstreaming Culture, Gender and Human Rights in Planning and
Programming Processes”, UNFPA CST Harare (Section I, UNFPA 2004/c, no. 10).
17
Culture Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organizations. Case Studies from Country
Programmes (Section III, UNFPA, 2004/a, no. 32).

23
is crucial to sustainability and community ownership, although cultures are not static. Moreover,
a culturally sensitive approach does not overlook the universality of human rights. UNFPA has an
important role to play as a facilitator of change. To this end, the document provides case studies
in various regions and emphasizes the link between gender-specific concerns such as VAW and
evidence-based information as part of advocacy for change.

Good practice 3

• Presenting the analytical framework and indicators for addressing gender as a cross-
cutting factor. This is important for widening the understanding of women’s empowerment
as a means of achieving gender equality and for strengthening the interlinked areas of
population, development and reproductive
health.
The 2001 document “Gender: A Progress Report” remains topical in addressing many issues
currently relevant to the UNFPA mandate and programme areas, such as ageing, migration,
HIV/AIDS and VAW, as well as issues of wider policy relevance, such as the impact of
globalization.18 The document provides a framework for conceptualizing the relevance of gender
to UNFPA staff work and for understanding how gender should be mainstreamed (pp. 20-29).
Equally relevant are the sections on regional perspectives identifying common as well as region-
specific issues and constraints requiring special attention (pp. 30-63; 71-74).

Annual State of World Population reports were found to be good examples of presenting gender
as a cross-cutting factor. For example, The State of World Population 200419 provides a
framework for addressing UNFPA aims and activities and avoids the fallacy of mentioning
“gender” while focusing almost exclusively on women. The report addresses male and female
health-related issues explicitly and the link between gender and development, on the one hand,
and wider policy concerns, such as poverty, environment and conflict, on the other hand. Current
development discourses are spelled out, including the link with the MDGs. A separate chapter
(5) discusses “gender inequality implications” and provides insight into region- as well as
country-specific considerations.

Another positive example that makes an explicit link with MYFF outcomes is “Guidelines for
UNFPA Support to Population, Development, Reproductive Health and Gender” (2004).20 The
document explicitly mentions gender mainstreaming as a UNFPA strategy to “integrate women’s
as well as men’s concerns” (p. 6). It makes clear that the topic of gender, although addressed in a
separate section of the document, is a cross-cutting issue (p. 5). It discusses a human rights and
culturally sensitive approach (pp. 5-6). It also provides a framework for understanding the
“importance of working within comprehensive national frameworks”, as well as with “other joint
development frameworks”, such as PRSPs, SWAps and the Common Country
Assessment/United Nations Development Assistance Framework (CCA/UNDAF) (p. 4).

A 2004 publication, Research Package: Engendering Population Census in South and West Asia,
the result of a knowledge-sharing workshop, addresses the process of “engendering” census
statistics beyond the narrow focus on using gender-sensitive indicators. This includes gender
training, dissemination strategies and packaging of data in ways relevant to both end-users and

18
“Gender: A Progress Report” (Section III, UNFPA, 2001, no. 27).
19
The State of World Population 2004. The Cairo Consensus at Ten: Population, Reproductive Health and
the Global Effort to End Poverty (Section V, UNFPA, 2004, no. 199).
20
“Guidelines for UNFPA Support to Population, Development, Reproductive Health and Gender”
(Section I, UNFPA 2004/b, no. 9).

24
policy makers and to the furtherance of regional cooperation.21 The Summary Report of the
workshop proceedings and findings is useful for advocacy purposes and is, thus, implicitly linked
with the MYFF.

The Spanish-language pamphlet “Gender, Health and Development in the Americas: Set of
Indicators” (2003) provides, for various countries, gender-disaggregated data in health and
development, including a specific focus on women’s reproductive health.22 Indicators cover the
areas of population and development to illustrate how such data have implications for health as
well as for education, employment and political participation in a given society. The document
defines key gender-related concepts consistent with the ICPD and international human-rights
instruments. Equally important, the terminology used is consistent with contemporary efforts to
gender-sensitize the Spanish language as commonly used in Latin America, which tends to be
male biased.

Another noteworthy example is the “Quick Count of the Population of Somalia: Guidelines for
Data Collection.” This document reflects on the possibilities of gender-sensitizing data even in a
post-conflict context of social and political instability.23 Census enumerators were provided with
concise guidelines and indicators for capturing data for both male and female populations and for
identifying female-headed households. At the same time, efforts were made to ensure that
indicators were culturally sensitive (for example, linking the local definition of age cohorts with
the Muslim moon-based calendar).24

Good practice 4

• Promoting an understanding of the importance of empowering women in terms of social,

economic and political dimensions.

A comprehensive understanding of the origin and complexities of gender issues is important for
linking the UNFPA mandate to the broader development context and increased UNFPA
participation in inter-agency activities. A 2000 document in French on UNFPA gender
approaches, produced by UNFPA Dakar, provides a coherent analytical framework covering, for
example, gender-based divisions of labour, social status, access to and control over resources,
gender aspects of employment, and VAW, as well as the gender implications of poverty and
conflict.25 All these issues are relevant to explaining women’s empowerment as a means of
achieving gender equality and equity. The document also provides guidance on strategic
approaches to mainstreaming gender in the areas of the UNFPA mandate, discussing the rationale
for focusing on gender and the importance of gender mainstreaming for achieving the strategic
objectives of UNFPA. The production of this document in French contributed to its wider
dissemination to a non-English-speaking target audience.

21
Research Package: Engendering Population Census in South and West Asia (Section IV/A, UNFPA
2004/q, no. 117).
22
“Gender, Health and Development in the Americas: Set of Indicators” (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2003/l,
no. 88).
23
“Quick Count of the Population of Somalia: Guidelines for Data Collection” (Section IV/B, UNFPA, no
date/a (no. 124).
24
Another relatively good example produced by CST Amman is “Integrated Population Data System”
(Section IV/B, UNFPA, no date/d, no. 127).
25
“Approche Genre de L’Exercise O.N.E.P”, UNFPA Dakar (Section IV/A, UNFPA 2000/e, no. 57). See
also Gender-Responsive Programming for Poverty Reduction. Technical Paper (Section III, UNFPA
2004/b, number 33), although this document does not incorporate a more in-depth analysis of the
complexity of the links between poverty and gender.

25
The 2002 publication Women. War. Peace. Progress of the World’s Women is another example of
a holistic approach to women’s empowerment as a means of achieving gender equality. It is also
an example of a constructive inter-agency collaboration in addressing the gender dimensions of
conflict and the link with relevant thematic areas such as HIV/AIDS and VAW.26 Although the
focus is specifically on women, gender is mainstreamed throughout this reader-friendly
document. Moreover, the executive summary as well as Key and Specific Recommendations can
be used for advocacy purposes, such as advocating for the United Nations and “donors and
governments to provide long-term financial support for women survivors through legal,
economic, psychological and reproductive health services” (p. 46). The recommendations provide
a framework for understanding the relevance of gender dimensions of conflict to the UNFPA
mandate and strategic goals.27

Good practice 5

• Developing concise and user-friendly gender-training modules, including those for

distance learning.

UNFPA has produced various generic gender-training manuals. An example is the Distance
Learning Courses on Population Issues (1999), which includes three modules on defining gender
concepts; the concept and rationale of gender analysis; and the importance of gender-sensitive
indicators and gender-sensitive advocacy.28 Overall, this training manual fulfils the quality
standard criteria, the consistency of gender concepts, and relevance to the intended target
audience of UNFPA staff. It also provides basic tools for gender analysis and mainstreaming. The
manual requires updating to bring the modules into line with priority UNFPA focuses, including
culture and human rights. However, it is still relevant to the organization’s strategic directions as
reflected in the MYFF and establishes the link with the MDGs. UNFPA staff can participate at
their own pace. The exercises are user-friendly and presented in unambiguous language.

Another example is the country-specific Module on Three-Day Training of Primary Health

Centre Medical Officers on Gender and RH (2002), which includes a Facilitator Manual.29
Although designed for health staff in India, the manual can be adapted for wider use in the region
and possibly beyond. The manual presents concise definitions of gender-related terms and
explanations of the links between health and gender, supported by a detailed glossary.
Presentations on various training sessions enable participants to understand the complex
interlinkages between gender and reproductive health, as well as the link between the latter and
thematic areas such as HIV/ AIDS, GBV and poverty.

Good practice 6

• Demonstrating the positive implications of gender-sensitive national policies for effective

population and reproductive health programming and providing insights into region- and

26
Women. War. Peace. Progress of the World’s Women. Vol. 1. The Independent Expert’s Assessment
(Section III, 2002/b, no. 29).
27
See also Empowerment of Women: How Population Programmes Contribute to Eradicating Poverty and
Empowerment of Women, Partners in Population and Development. A South-South Initiative. Report of a
Symposium, 10 November (Section III, UNFPA, 2003/a, no. 30).
28
Distance Learning Courses on Population Issues (Section II, UNFPA, 1999, number 14).
29
Module on Three-Day Training of Primary Health Centre Medical Officers on Gender and RH, UNFPA,
India. (Section II, UNFPA, 2002/a, no. 16).

26
 country-specific similarities and diversities conducive to identifying and sharing lessons
learned. This is reinforced by producing documents not only in English but also in some
of the other main United Nations languages.30

The 2003 Spanish-language document “Gender Equality and Gender Equity Policy” provides an
example of developing gender-sensitive national policies with specific application to Costa Rica’s
national police, traditionally a male-dominated sphere.31 The language and content of the
document reflect the promotion of CEDAW and the important role of human-rights and gender
activists working with the national judiciary and policy makers. Gender equity is linked with
national goals of security as well as law enforcement.

An example of country-specific insights is UNFPA at Work: Five Country Snapshots (1999).32

Each country example covers a particular focus relevant to the UNFPA mandate and programme
approach, which is to support the formulation of pertinent policy initiatives while emphasizing
the need to work at the community level through a culturally sensitive approach. The document
also provides insights into lessons learned that may have a wider application in the region. For
example, the various country snapshots refer to the importance of supporting female role models
as part of women’s empowerment and how this may be achieved, by, for example, supporting
education, skill training and income generation.

Good practice 7

• Encouraging positive changes in the mindset of readers, including UNFPA staff and
service providers, for example, through analysing subjective attitudes and beliefs in
sensitive areas such as HIV/AIDS and VAW. This is conducive to capacity-building and
organizational learning with positive implications for effective programme development
and implementation.

One example is the “HIV/AIDS Consultation Workshop for Arab States – Cairo. Challenges of
the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: The Gender and Human Rights Context”, developed by CST Amman.33
The presentation, in a Power Point format, was useful for advocacy purposes and thus for
disseminating gender messages related to HIV/AIDS. It provides explicit definitions of gender-
related terms and concepts and coherently mainstreams gender into the analysis of the links
between HIV/AIDS and human rights. It stresses the links between gender-specific vulnerability
to HIV/AIDS, cultural beliefs and social expectations. It also examines the implications of
poverty, conflict and human rights violations for promoting gender equality and for tackling
HIV/AIDS.

The 2001 “Gender, Health and Development: Gender Mainstreaming in Sexual and Reproductive
Health: Services and Programme Management” is another positive example of this best practice.34
The document is also conducive to encouraging positive changes in the mindset of UNFPA staff.
Intended as a training of trainers (TOT) manual (designed in Arabic and French, and available in

30
Although most UNFPA gender-related materials are produced in English, the qualitative assessment
included analyses of documents in Arabic, French and Spanish.
31
“Gender Equality and Gender Equity Policy” (Spanish) (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2003/j, no. 86).
32
UNFPA at Work: Five Country Snapshots (Section VI, UNFPA, 1999/e, no. 228).
33
“HIV/AIDS Consultation Workshop for Arab States – Cairo. Challenges of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic:
The Gender and Human Rights Context” (Power Point Presentation, CST Amman (Section IV/A, UNFPA,
no date/I, no. 44).
34
“Gender, Health and Development: Gender Mainstreaming in Sexual and Reproductive Health: Services
and Programme Management.” CST Amman (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2001/d, no. 61).

27
English), it provides relevant gender definitions and concepts that remain up to date, including a
discussion of links with human rights and the cultural context. The section on lessons learned
stresses that gender and related issues “are not only a matter of knowledge or skills”, but are also
affected by the personal beliefs, attitudes, motivations and misconceptions of service providers.
Moreover, TOT workshop participants are provided with analytical tools to mainstream gender in
sexual and reproductive health.

Another positive example is the 2001 A Practical Approach to Gender-Based Violence: A

Programme Guide for Health Care Providers and Managers.35 The guidelines for formulating
practical gender-sensitive programmes are relevant for addressing the complexities of VAW and
their link with reproductive health. The guidelines are also innovative in addressing the issue of
health personnel’s own conscious and/or unconscious subjective attitudes towards VAW, of
relevance also to UNFPA staff, given the implications for programming in this area of concern.

Good practice 8

• Promoting inter-agency collaboration in areas relevant to population, development and

reproductive health and rights.

An especially positive example is the 2004 “ADB/UNFPA Cooperation Training Manual on

Integration of Population Issues in African Development Bank Programmes and Projects”.36 The
document explicitly singles out gender as a cross-cutting issue, and its links with poverty,
environment and population, reflected in the five training modules. The latter cover important
issues such as population and related sectoral strategies; the need for a multisectoral database; the
importance of advocacy and of promoting constructive policy dialogue; the role of communities
in influencing gender-related issues; and the implications of gender equity for population
dynamics and health interventions

Another good example of inter-agency collaboration is the 2003 Promotion and Defense of
Reproductive Rights: A New Challenge for the National Human Rights Institutions.37 The
document provides both a conceptual framework for addressing the links among gender,
reproductive rights and human rights, and an action plan relevant to various countries in the Latin
American region. A summary table on 12 specific reproductive rights also establishes the link
with the ICPD, CEDAW, CESCR and CRC (pp. 32-33). A section on the sexual and reproductive
rights of women provides lessons learned, including the need to monitor, protect, promote and
publicize human rights, thus “facilitating citizenship participation” (p. 270).

Good practice 9

• Including gender-disaggregated analyses of adolescents and youth.

A good example is the The State of World Population 2003, which focuses on adolescents and
youth.38 It reflects progress in addressing this population group in a gender-sensitive way

35
A Practical Approach to Gender-Based Violence: A Programme Guide for Health Care Providers and
Managers (Section I, UNFPA, 2001, no. 4).
36
“ADB/UNFPA Cooperation Training Manual on Integration of Population Issues in African
Development Programmes and Projects” (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2004/n, no. 184).
37
See also Promotion and Defense of Reproductive Rights: New Challenges for the National Human Rights
Institutions (Spanish), UNFPA LAC CST and UNHCHR (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2003/c, no. 159).
38
The State of World Population 2003: Making 1 Billion Count (Section V, no. 198).

28
compared with, for example, the 1998 SWP focusing on the same topic.39 For example, the latter
defines youth by age (15-24 years), but no similar definition is provided for adolescents; nor is
the age-related overlap between the two addressed. The 2003 SWP addresses this omission and
the age-specific overlap between adolescents, youth and young people, as well as the cultural
context that needs to be taken into account in the gender analysis of this population group. The
importance of sex-disaggregated indicators is stressed, and the links with the ICPD and the
MDGs as well as the CRC are explicitly addressed.

Another relevant example is the 2000 Report of the UNFPA Inter-Country Workshop: Adolescent
Reproductive Health for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific Island Countries.40 It provides
a coherent framework for addressing adolescent reproductive health in a gender-sensitive and
culturally appropriate way, although it does not define this population group in terms of an age
category. It also promotes participation and ownership through the “involvement of adolescents
in planning, implementation and evaluation” (p. 4) of the programmes. Equally important is
constructively addressing culturally sensitive issues such as the unmarried adolescent’s right to
reproductive health information and services (p. 9).

Good practice 10

• Mainstreaming gender into analyses related to the ageing population and their
reproductive health.

The 2003 Spanish-language “Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women’s Ageing” focuses on
the reproductive and sexual health of older women, as reflected in the title, and analyses the
“feminization of ageing” in selected Latin American countries. It is a good example of addressing
gender gaps discriminating against women, while not neglecting to include older men’s
reproductive and sexual health needs and concerns.41 An especially important issue is the
recognition of the role of older women in the unpaid care economy, and links with poverty and
HIV/AIDS orphans, thematic areas relevant to the UNFPA mandate on reproductive health.

The 2002 expert group meeting report on “Population Ageing and Development: Social, Health
and Gender Issues” is a positive example of linking gender issues with population ageing and
development, as well as wider links such as with the ICPD and the MDGs.42 Although further
refinement of the analysis is required – for example, with regard to the links among ageing,
gender equality and women’s empowerment and the importance of mainstreaming gender in
monitoring – the discussion covers links among gender, ageing and poverty. Gender is largely
mainstreamed in the recommendations section, which could be further developed as a framework
for advocacy on integrating gender into policies and strategies related to the ageing population.

Good practice 11

• Promoting a constructive approach to male involvement in support of women’s

empowerment and in crucial areas related to reproductive health, such as combating
HIV/AIDS.

39
The State of World Population 1998: The New Generations (Section V, no. 193).
40
Report of the UNFPA Inter-Country Workshop: Adolescent Reproductive Health for East and South-East
Asia and the Pacific Island Countries (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2000/b, no. 139).
41
“Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women’s Ageing” (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2003/p , no. 92).
42
“Population Ageing and Development: Social, Health and Gender Issues. A Special Report from the
Expert Group Meeting on Population Ageing and Development” (Section III, UNFPA, 2002/a, no. 28).

29
A positive example of promoting male involvement in addressing reproductive health concerns,
as well as in issues relevant to population and development, is the 1998 “Male Involvement in
Reproductive Health and Mainstreaming Gender in Population and Development Programmes”,
developed by CST Harare.43 Although the document pre-dates the MDGs and MYFF, the
strategies presented for promoting male involvement remain relevant and largely applicable to
other regions, and are also useful for advocacy purposes.

Another positive example is the 2000 A New Role for Men: Partners for Women’s
Empowerment.44 Key gender issues are defined and reinforced through examples, and coherent
arguments are presented for the importance of encouraging male involvement in promoting
women’s empowerment as a means of achieving gender equality. Especially important is the
presentation of positive gender messages that address men as partners rather than adversaries,
including presenting positive images such as the role of the “new father” and its relevance to
tackling changes needed in reproductive and sexual behaviour, both of which are linked to
women’s empowerment. As the report notes: “Too often the fight for women’s empowerment is
viewed as one for women to wage alone. Men must understand that gains for women benefit all
of society” (p. 16).

The reality that generally insufficient attention has been accorded to the reproductive health needs
of men is effectively addressed in a 2001 report on a meeting involving selected countries in East
and South-East Asia.45 The document breaches cultural taboos by discussing homosexuality and
the link with HIV/AIDS, and the reproductive health needs of male adolescents. Although the
document stops short of explicitly incorporating a culturally sensitive approach that is also rights-
based and that promotes gender equality, it recognizes the need for a more coherent programme
strategy to promote male involvement as a milestone in implementing the ICPD.46

Good practice 12

• Addressing the complexity of gender-based violence (GBV) beyond the current narrow
focus on violence against women (VAW).

A pertinent positive example is the 1998 Reproductive Health of the Population of Latvia.47 There
is no explicit reference to “gender”, yet both men’s and women’s reproductive health needs and
rights are addressed. Reference to “International Principles” explicitly includes equal rights of
men and women, as well as the importance of male involvement (pp. 15-17). Relevant to current
discourses on GBV is the recognition that, although VAW may be statistically predominant and
has serious implications for promoting equality between men and women, men may also suffer
from mental, physical and sexual abuse (pp. 44-47). This points to the need for caution when
using the terms GBV and VAW interchangeably. Of interest is the methodology applied in
soliciting information from the sample of men and women: the latter were interviewed face to

43
“Male Involvement in Reproductive Health and Mainstreaming Gender in Population and Development
Programmes”, CST Harare (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 1998/c, no. 50).
44
A New Role for Men. Partners for Women’s Empowerment (Section III, UNFPA, 2000/c, no. 26).
45
“Report on the South-South Inter-Country Technical Meeting on Male Involvement in Reproductive
Health in East and South-East Asia”, Bangkok, Thailand (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2001/I, no. 66). See also
Partners for Change. Enlisting Men in HIV/AIDS Prevention (Section III, UNFPA, 2000/b, no. 25).
46
Another positive example is Breaking the Cycle of Transmission. Sexually Transmitted Infections
(UNFPA RHB/TSD (Section VI, UNFPA, 2004/a, no. 244).
47
Reproductive Health of the Population of Latvia (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 1998/c, no. 135).

30
face, whereas men were given questionnaires to fill out (p. 20), although in both cases questions
aimed at being culturally sensitive.

Recognition of the need for a holistic approach to tackling VAW is reflected in the 2002 Inter-
Country Workshop for Parliamentary Advocacy for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women.48 This is a positive example of inter-agency cooperation in the United Nations and of
soliciting support of the legislative bodies (parliamentarians representing various
countries/regions) in developing a regional action plan to deal with a culturally sensitive issue.
The report notes the “inadequacy of most national laws protecting victims or sanctioning violent
perpetrators has made legal reform an important priority [though] clearly amending laws is not
enough to eliminate VAW” (p. iv). Addressing the complex manifestations of VAW through an
analysis of causes, and advocating for a recognition of decision makers’ responsibility for
addressing this problem are positively linked to the MYFF goal on gender equality and women’s
empowerment and, by implication, to the pertinent MDG. Recommendations for further action
are a useful advocacy framework pertinent to all regions where UNFPA operates. 49

B. THE COMMUNICATION STYLE OF UNFPA GENDER-RELATED MATERIALS

The desk review also assessed the communication aspects of UNFPA gender-related materials,
revealed various strengths and identified best practices.50 On the positive side, the documents
reviewed were generally well researched, balanced and evidence based. The photo selection was
strong and the themes examined were relevant and timely.

Good practice 13

• Meeting needs and interests of the intended audience.

The 2004 Culture Matters – Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organizations is a good
example of a document that is well targeted, well researched and specific.51 It contains country-
specific indicators, facts and figures. Clearly focused towards policy makers and programmers, it
meets the needs of the intended audience by providing detailed region-specific information
regarding differing cultural contexts, and how to win traditional leaders over through a step-by-
step analysis of what works and what does not. Country data reveal the extent of the problem
analysed, followed by useful information regarding actions undertaken, obstacles faced and final
results -- again, backed up with statistics and evidence. Boxes are a useful at-a-glance strategy to
enable readers to absorb information quickly.

Audience targeting is important for effective advocacy. The latter is usually based on a simple
strategy: first, making the reader care; second, presenting evidence; and third, providing a
solution. To engage in successful advocacy and challenge the target audience, it is important to
present progress and arguments in favour of a particular approach or strategy.

48
Inter-Country Workshop for Parliamentary Advocacy for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
(Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2001/m, no. 70).
49
“Violence Against Women in South Asia – Regional Analysis” (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2003/w, no. 99).
50
See appendix VI: Definition of Communication Criteria.
51
Culture Matters – Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organizations (Section III, UNFPA,
2004/a, no. 32). See Preliminary Assessment Report, Final Draft, 31 May 2005, appendix 4 for source of
references.

31
 Good practice 14

• Choosing images that add to text.

The role of good design is to beguile, invite and engage as well as to provide a context in which
to deliver information efficiently. Linked to this is the choice of images. It is important to choose
images that do not contradict the tone of the text. The State of World Population 2001 includes
many images that are characterized by simple composition and that speak well to the text.52
Readers are far more apt to retain an image than the text that accompanies it.

One photo that perfectly reflects the text and even adds to it is to be found in the 1999 Distance
Learning Courses on Population Issues.53 In the foreground is a father flanked by his six young
sons, all of whom are holding a goat, while in the background, almost outside the frame of the
picture, are the mother and two daughters. In terms of a photo that aptly reflects gender
discrimination, this image is revealing.

Good practice 15

• Writing well, combining first-person accounts with case histories and solid research.

Quality writing is part of the design. It reassures the audience that what they are reading and
related images are accurate and deserving of their attention, thus functioning as a form of
persuasion that acts on an unconscious as well as a conscious level. A document that is well
designed and eloquently written will be taken more seriously. It will have a greater impact and
will reach a broader audience for the simple reason that it will be a pleasure to read, since it will
invite, persuade, provoke and, more importantly, engage.

A positive example in this respect is the Introduction to The State of World Population 2001.54
The first part is extremely well written and draws the reader in with an evocation of two
Australopithecine ancestors heading out for a stroll along a Paleolithic lake shore. It captivates
through powerful imagery and leads readers into the topic instead of simply hammering them
with a series of facts.

Another positive example is the 2004 document Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis.
This is a well-written and well-structured report that is evidence based and compelling.55 The use
of photography and the reliance on first-person accounts humanizes the issue and can be a
powerful advocacy tool. Detailed descriptions of the practices and customs that increase female
vulnerability to HIV/AIDS highlight the extent and breadth of discrimination and abuse of
women and girls. At the same time, the text emphasizes that such behaviours can be, and are
being, changed.

52
The State of World Population 2001. Footprints and Milestones: Population and Environmental Change
(Section V, UNFPA SWP, 2001, no. 199).
53
Distance Learning Courses on Population Issues (Section II, UNFPA, 1999, no. 14).
54
The State of World Population 2001 (Section V, UNFPA SWP, 2001, no. 196).
55
Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis (Section III, UNFPA, 2004/d, no. 35).

32
CHAPTER FOUR -- KEY CHALLENGES

A. QUALITY

The desk review reveals that, notwithstanding the good practices identified, various challenges
need to be addressed so that UNFPA can build on existing strengths. Some of these challenges
were identified even in the documents considered as positive examples overall; other challenges
were identified in documents in which none of the quality criteria was met.

This section presents some key challenges and illustrates them by examples. The assessment
captured certain issues and concerns, which should be addressed to institutionalize the best
practices as a norm for UNFPA work.

Ways need to be found to do the following:

• Ensure uniformity in the application of good practices over a specific time period as well
as within the same thematic area. This includes ensuring consistency in imparting gender
messages and the rationale for gender mainstreaming in documents covering the same or
similar topics, and issued during the same time period.

For example, the 2004 “Programme Managers’ Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit”56
includes indicators presented in gender-neutral language, whereas the 2004 “Guidelines for
UNFPA Support to Reproductive Health, Population and Development and Gender” is deemed a
positive example of gender mainstreaming.57 Dissemination may be a factor here, since the latter
was produced by CST Harare, while the first-mentioned document was produced in headquarters.

Another relevant example is two documents produced in the same year – 2003 – on HIV/AIDS.
The Impact of HIV/AIDS: A Population and Development Perspective integrates gender into the
analysis, and, for example, explicitly refers to the MDG on gender equality and to the importance
of sex-disaggregated data.58 By contrast, Preventing HIV Infection, Promoting Reproductive
Health, which includes a discussion of an enabling environment for addressing HIV/AIDS and
explicitly refers to the ICPD and the MDGs, does not identify the promotion of gender equality
and women’s empowerment as explicit challenges to be addressed. Nor is there an explicit
reference to promoting male involvement in the battle against HIV/AIDS. 59

• Avoid treating women and men as homogeneous population groups.

The 2003 French-language document, “Gender, Democracy and Governance”, is an innovative

approach to widening the gender discourse.60 The analysis focuses on three interlinked areas: the

56
“Programme Managers’ Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit.” (UNFPA/DOS (Section I,
UNFPA, 2004/d, no. 11).
57
“Guidelines for UNFPA Support to Reproductive Health, Population and Development.” UNFPA CST,
Harare (Section I, UNFPA, 2004/c, no. 10).
58
The Impact of HIV/AIDS: A Population and Development Perspective. Population and Development
Strategies number 9 (Section VI, UNFPA, 2003/h, no. 238).
59
Preventing HIV Infection, Promoting Reproductive Health (Section VI, UNFPA, 2003/f, number 236).
60
“Genre, Democratie et Gouvernance en Afrique de l’Ouest. L’égalité a la croisée des chemins.” CST
Dakar (Section IV/A, UNFPA, 2003/b, no. 78).

33
social situation of men and women; challenges in addressing gender equality between men and
women; and implications of achieving gender equality for democracy and good governance and
the link with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Although no explicit link
with reproductive health is spelled out, gender messages are consistent with the ICPD, the MDGs
and the MYFF. However, the analysis treats women and men as undifferentiated population
categories and does not take into account variables of class, rural/urban location etc.

• Mainstream gender where appropriate, irrespective of whether the document’s title

explicitly mentions “gender” or “women”. This also implies that, whether gender is
focused upon and analysed in a separate chapter of the document, gender should be
mainstreamed in other sections where appropriate.

For example, the 2002 Situation and Voices: The Older Poor and Excluded in South Africa and
India does not include “women” or “gender” in the title.61 However, a separate section is devoted
to gender and ageing, and gender is more or less consistently mainstreamed in other sections of
the document. Another example is the 2003 South Asia Conference for the Prevention &
Treatment of Obstetric Fistula, which provides a coherent analysis of contributing factors to
obstetric fistula, including gender-related constraints such as low female education, early
marriage and limited female autonomy.62 By contrast, the 2003 Counting the People:
Constraining Census Costs and Assessing Alternative Approaches uses gender-neutral language
that fails to capture important links between, for example, the quality of data and poverty, as well
as gender and culturally sensitive indicators.63 Nor is there mention of the need to gender-
sensitize census enumerators as part of effective national capacity-building for data collection.

• Further elaborate on the concept of male involvement as well as develop qualitative

indicators to measure the role of men in supporting women’s empowerment as a means of
achieving gender equality.

The qualitative desk review reveals variations in how the issue of male involvement is addressed,
either generally, as part of promoting gender equality, or related to a specific thematic issue, such
as VAW and HIV/AIDS. Although the current MYFF (2004-2007) reinforces gender as a cross-
cutting factor, the Strategic Results Framework does not include male involvement as a
measurement indicator in the three goals of reproductive health, population and development, and
gender.64

• Further strengthen the gender analysis of adolescents and youth.

As part of ICPD+10, UNFPA carried out in 2003 a global survey aimed at identifying progress
and remaining challenges in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action, including adolescent
reproductive and sexual health.65 The 2005 progress report on adolescent reproductive health in

61
Situation and Voices: The Older Poor and Excluded in South Africa and India. Population and
Development Strategies number 2 (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2002/g, no. 155).
62
South Asia Conference for the Prevention & Treatment of Obstetric Fistula (Dhaka, December) (Section
IV/B, UNFPA, 2003/k, no. 167).
63
Counting the People: Constraining Census Costs and Assessing Alternative Approaches. Population and
Development Strategies (Section VI, UNFPA, 2003, no. 241).
64
“Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF) 2004-2007. Report of the Executive Director.” (Section I,
UNFPA, 2003.b, no. 7).
65
Investing in People – A Summary Report. National Progress in Implementing the ICPD Programme of
Action 1994-2004 (See Section VI, UNFPA, 2004/c, no. 246).

34
the East and South-East Asia Region identifies seven issues relevant to analysing adolescents and
youth in the Pacific Region.66 Youth are not treated as a homogeneous category, and the
discussion of culture as both a facilitating and a constraining factor recognizes the importance of
gender. Yet, various sections of the document analyse adolescent reproductive health in gender-
neutral language.

• Update generic training manuals to reflect recent gender-related discourses and new
areas of concern relevant to gender mainstreaming, such as gender budgeting, given its
link to results-based management (RBM).

The 2001 “UNFPA Gender Training Manual: Gender, Population and Development” can foster
relevant skills for gender mainstreaming.67 It provides the rationale for linking gender,
population and development, and presents basic guidelines on how to undertake gender
mainstreaming. It embraces the key areas of UNFPA mandate. However, updating of areas such
as GBV, HIV/AIDS and the rights-based approach is required to ensure that this generic gender-
training manual remains relevant.

• As part of the promotion of reader-friendly documents, where appropriate, systematically

incorporate a gender-sensitive executive summary that may, in addition, be used for
advocacy purposes.

Relatively few of the documents reviewed include an executive summary that is concise, reader-
friendly and conducive to further use for advocacy purposes. For example, the previously
mentioned Situation and Voices: The Older Poor and Excluded in South Africa and India is
deemed a positive example of gender mainstreaming, but does not include an executive summary
that captures essential gender and operational challenges dealing with this thematic area.68

• Ensure consistent use of gender-sensitive language, whatever the original language of a

document. A related challenge is ensuring that the translation of gender-related terms into
the local language includes concise conceptual definitions that do not dilute universal
standards of gender equality and human rights.

A pertinent example is the 2004 Arabic-language “Health and Reproductive Rights of Youth and
Adolescents”.69 Although this population group is categorized by age, much of the discussion in
the text uses the male noun for adolescents and youth, including the section linking poverty and
gender. While some may argue that, grammatically, the use of the male noun in Arabic is
intended to refer to both sexes, explicit reference is made to female adolescents in, for example,
the section dealing with pregnancy, and a differentiation is made between male and female youth
in the section on HIV/AIDS.

66
ICPD Plus Ten: Progress in the Pacific in Adolescent Reproductive Health (Section IV/B, UNFPA,
2005/b, no. 189).
67
“UNFPA Gender Training Manual: Gender, Population and Development” (Section II, UNFPA, 2001,
no. 15).
68
Situation and Voices: The Older Poor and Excluded in South Africa and India. Population and
Development Strategies number 2 (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2002, no. 155).
69
“Health and Reproductive Rights of Youth and Adolescents.” Submitted to the African and Arab
Countries Conference (Damascus, December) (Section IV/B, UNFPA, 2004/c, no. 173).

35
B. COMMUNICATION STYLE

To improve the clarity and effectiveness of gender-related messages, the challenges identified
regarding communication style need to be addressed. In terms of readability, most of the
documents reviewed would have benefited from a more journalistic treatment that weds first-
person accounts with case histories and solid, evidence-based research in order to appeal to an
audience of policy makers, the media, researchers and the interested public. Effective
communication draws readers in with emotion and then convinces them with facts. Emphasizing
aesthetics and craft as well as solid, evidence-based research will both attract and inform. Another
challenge is strengthening design, layout and typography. In addition, many of the documents
reviewed need extensive editing to ensure clear communication of ideas.

Reviewing a sample of documents from a communication perspective reveals aspects that may
not necessarily surface in a qualitative analysis of the same documents. Thus, the analysis of
materials based on the applicability of the four defined quality criteria also needs to take effective
communication strategies into account to further strengthen the messages advocating for gender
equality through the promotion of women’s empowerment.

C. UTILITY AND UTILIZATION OF UNFPA GENDER-RELATED MATERIALS

The assessment of utility and utilization of UNFPA gender-related materials by selected key
stakeholders reveals the challenge of making better use of available quality materials through
more effective dissemination channels. There is also the perceived need for gender-related
materials that more effectively address staff requirements in respect of conceptualizing gender
and using operational tools for gender mainstreaming.

The extent to which UNFPA staff would find materials useful and actually use them appears to be
linked to the following:

• Effective targeting of the intended audience and their information needs and interests;

• Clarity in conceptual presentation, packaging and design;

• Usefulness as operational tools for gender mainstreaming and as advocacy instruments;

• Effectiveness of the organization’s dissemination strategy and mechanisms;

• Accessibility of materials in hard copy and/or via the Internet; and

• Availability in the main United Nations languages other than English, including quality
of translation.

36
D. DREAM PRODUCTS

Respondents shared their views about hypothetical, so-called dream products being conducive to
strengthening the quality of UNFPA gender-related documents and, by implication, strengthening
the process of gender mainstreaming. In this way, such products would help UNFPA achieve its
strategic objectives pertinent to promoting and supporting gender equality and equity. The dream
products that were suggested include the following:

• Regularly updated position papers on how UNFPA is operationalizing its mandate in

response to ICPD and MDG objectives, and as reflected in the MYFF; specifically with
respect to focus areas conducive to promoting women’s empowerment as a means of
achieving gender equality and equity;

• Thematic- or sector-specific fact sheets that regularly update staff on best practices and
on lessons learned for addressing and strengthening interlinkages of gender, culture and
human rights in programme planning and project implementation;

• Concise guidelines on how to implement gender-mainstreaming operational tools;

• Concise executive summaries in all pertinent documents conducive to developing gender-

sensitive advocacy strategies and tools;

• Gender-training packages that provide conceptual frameworks and promote practical

skills for operationalizing gender mainstreaming;

• User-friendly checklists to assess effective implementation of gender mainstreaming;

• User-friendly guidelines for effectively measuring gender mainstreaming-related outputs

conducive to achieving MYFF goals and strategies;

• More effective channels for intra-organizational knowledge-sharing and learning linked

to promoting staff accountability for gender mainstreaming; and

• More effective channels for inter-agency cooperation on gender-related issues and

concerns conducive to strengthening overlapping areas while avoiding unnecessary
duplication.

37
CHAPTER FIVE – WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE
ASSESSMENT AND ITS FINDINGS
Certain findings and conclusions of the assessment go beyond the specific scope of the desk
review and point to broader issues, namely the implications for the strategic niche and
comparative advantage of UNFPA with respect to gender, as well as for UNFPA organizational
development. The assessment has used an innovative methodology of appreciative inquiry and, in
this way, has enriched the palette of evaluation methods used by the organization

A. UNFPA STRATEGIC NICHE AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

The UNFPA strategic niche is informed by the interlinked areas of reproductive and sexual health
and rights; population and development; and advocacy promoting and supporting women’s
empowerment as a means of achieving gender equality and equity. Its strategic niche is linked to
achieving the objectives set out in the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action, further developed and
refined through ICPD+5 and ICPD+10, as well as in the FWCW and follow-up conferences. It is
also linked to the MDGs in recognition of the fundamental importance of reproductive and sexual
health to achieving these goals. Operationalizing the organization’s strategic niche also requires
active participation in the development of Poverty Reduction Strategies and SWAps.

The UNFPA comparative advantage is based on its unique experience as an advocate for
reproductive and sexual health and rights, both of which are culturally sensitive areas. In turn, this
has implications for effectively advocating on empowering women as a means of achieving
gender equality and equity, informed by a culturally sensitive rights-based approach in strategy
development and programme planning.

Effective gender mainstreaming is a crucial aspect of strengthening the organization’s strategic

niche and comparative advantage. As the key findings from the appreciative inquiry indicate, this
requires ensuring conceptual clarity and coherence in gender-related terms, effective training in
gender-analytical skills, effective application of gender-mainstreaming tools, and the promotion
within UNFPA of a culture of knowledge-sharing and organizational learning.

B. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The findings of the assessment also have implications for organizational development within
UNFPA by pointing to the need for:

• Developing and refining a strategy for quality production and effective dissemination of
UNFPA gender-related materials;

• Implementing an effective gender-training strategy, including follow-up training; and

• Promoting a culture of learning and knowledge-sharing as well as accountability for

gender mainstreaming.

This was the first time that DOS used the method of appreciative inquiry in an evaluation. The
effort proved to be constructive and appropriate to the objectives of the assessment. The lessons
learned are worth sharing not only with UNFPA Evalnet but with evaluators from other United
Nations organizations and agencies as well, as the utilization of this method is in its early stages.

38
CHAPTER SIX – RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE
QUALITY, PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION OF GENDER-
RELATED MATERIALS AT UNFPA

The key findings of the desk review, interviews with selected key stakeholders in UNFPA and the
Recommendations Development Workshop point to the following recommendations for moving
forward in improving quality production of gender-related materials.

To improve the quality of gender mainstreaming in UNFPA materials, the following should
be undertaken:

• Ensure the effective targeting of the intended audience by clearly defining it and its
information needs and interests at the planning stage and making the format, message
design and presentation relevant to those needs;

• Disseminate throughout UNFPA a user-friendly checklist based on the set of quality

criteria developed for the assessment “Focusing on Gender” as a tool to assess the
effectiveness of mainstreaming gender in UNFPA materials ( TSD,CGHR branch);

• Establish a quality assurance mechanism (to be developed by TSD and IERD) to ensure
that the production of materials in UNFPA adheres to the quality standards developed for
this assessment;

• Ensure that all materials produced by UNFPA use gender-sensitive language and reflect
gender analysis;

• Improve the writing style, translation and layout of materials produced at UNFPA and
ensure their professional editing by native speakers; and

• Ensure that documents include a concise executive summary that may be useful, among
other things, for advocacy purposes.

To support effective utilization of the produced materials, the following should be

undertaken:

• Ensure that UNFPA staff in the field systematically receive corporate strategic materials
on gender concepts; on operational tools for gender mainstreaming; and on thematic
approaches that are sensitive to gender, culture and human rights;

• Ensure that quality materials produced in the field are available and accessible for staff in
all regions and countries where UNFPA operates (CGHR branch);

• Update training materials relevant to capacity-building in gender mainstreaming and

ensure that modules reflect the strategic link with MYFF and the MDGs, as well as the
link with RBM (CGHR branch); and

• Develop a user-friendly UNFPA web site for staff to share gender-related documents,
information and experiences on best practices and outstanding challenges.

39
 Certain findings and conclusions of the assessment go beyond the specific scope of the desk
review and point to broader issues. The recommendations below address the implications for the
Fund’s strategic niche and its comparative advantage in respect of gender as well as
organizational development.

To strengthen the focus on gender in UNFPA, the following broader recommendations

should be considered:

• Develop and disseminate UNFPA position papers on gender which are concise, up-to-
date, reader-friendly and available in the United Nations working languages and which
clearly reflect the strategic niche and comparative advantage of UNFPA in the area of
gender;

• Include in gender-training courses a module that clearly links the focus on gender as a
cross-cutting factor with UNFPA gender-related strategic objectives and comparative
advantage;

• Ensure that gender is mainstreamed in induction procedures as well as thematic-linked

training courses and modules; and

• Develop a needs-related gender-training strategy that addresses the requirements of

UNFPA staff for a better understanding of gender concepts and their link with culture and
human rights and for more effective use of operational tools for gender mainstreaming.

40
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: Terms of Reference

Focusing on Gender: Assessment of the quality and utility of the UNFPA publications/ materials
related to gender and gender mainstreaming and produced in 1997-2004.

Background:
To operationalize its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, UNFPA developed in
1998 specific policy and programme guidelines, which are currently being reviewed and updated.

The high priority accorded by UNFPA to the gender institutionalization is reflected in the strengthening of
the Gender Branch in TSD which became the Culture, Gender & Human Rights Branch (CGHR), the
systematic appointments of gender and socio-culture advisers in CSTs and nomination of the Gender focal
points in all organizational units. Gender, equality and women’s empowerment was adopted as one of the
three strategic goals of the Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF), while also ensuring that gender
concerns are mainstreamed and captured in the indicators and the outputs of the other two goals.

An important recognition of gender equality and the empowerment of women as being essential to
achieving reproductive health and sustainable development is reflected in numerous publications, papers,
guidelines, training materials produced at UNFPA by different organizational units. The main purpose of
these materials is to facilitate understanding of the concepts and to guide their translation into practice as
well as to contribute to the advocacy, policy dialogue and resource mobilization.

In spite of the production of a growing number of printed materials of different types, the gender area
remains challenging for UNFPA and its staff. In numerous reviews, evaluations and reports gender
mainstreaming into programming using the human rights and a culturally sensitive approach is repeatedly
mentioned as an area, which requires more clarity and practical guidance. In addition, concern about the
effectiveness of technical support provided to the CO through materials and publications was raised. As a
matter of fact in most cases Gender is dressed more than really addressed. The reasons are not only
technical.

It was not surprising that the internal survey conducted in 2003 by DOS to select the priority topics for the
future evaluations, highlighted again the need to pay more attention to this area. As a first step DOS has
proposed to the Programme Committee to conduct a desk review of UNFPA publications/materials on
gender and gender mainstreaming to assess the quality, relevance as well as consistency of the message
communicated.

Independently from this decision, and more or less at the same time, the CGHR branch has included into its
work plan an assessment of the availability of guidelines and training materials and their utilization. For
both exercises the first step entailed identification, compilation and cataloguing of the produced materials
because after the abolishing of the UNFPA library, there is no longer a repository of UNFPA
publications/material. DOS and CGHR branch have jointly started identifying and collecting the
publications and as of now have almost completed this exercise.

Rationale and Purpose of the Assessment:

The proposed inquiry is a version of formative evaluation with the purpose of the improvement of UNFPA
operations. The rationale of the desk review was based on the following underlying assumptions: the
printed materials produced by UNFPA on gender and gender mainstreaming represent the state of the art
and they are key for the staff to remain updated with the concepts. These materials provide the necessary
guidance on how to design and implement effective programmes, how to do advocacy, policy dialogue and
mobilize resources to scale up international and national support to gender equality and women’s

41
empowerment. It is also assumed that produced materials are available in the working languages and are
easily accessible for the staff, who reads these materials and applies them in its work As an end result of
this chain of events/actions gender gets mainstreamed in a culturally sensitive and human rights based way.

In order to shape the design of the proposed assessment of the quality and utility of publications/materials
and to make the whole exercise more responsive to the needs of various stakeholders, DOS has conducted a
series of pre-assessment dialogues, interviews with the intended users of the assessment’s findings. These
dialogues have allowed not only to portray the stakeholders’ experience with publications and materials but
also has led to the expansion of the inquiry to include the utilization aspect. As a result two exercises
planned by DOS and CGHR branch got merged into one: “Focusing on Gender: assessment of the quality
and utility of UNFPA publications and materials related to gender and gender mainstreaming”.

The purpose of the proposed assessment is:

1. To validate the above mentioned assumptions and to determine to what extent the produced
publications/materials meet the quality standards, expectations and needs of the intended users and
are an effective channel of guiding the organization;
2. To learn the best practices to improve further the effectiveness of communicating gender related
concepts and programme experiences.
3. To contribute to the organizational learning and development by using broad participatory and
appreciative evaluation practice and to strengthen collaboration between different organizational
units.

Key Evaluation Questions:

The initial dialogues and interviews conducted with the main stakeholders identified a set of critical
questions that they are particularly interested in and committed to answering through the inquiry process.
These questions could be clustered in the following groups:

1. Quality of the produced materials:

a. Do the concepts meet quality standards, and a state of the art understanding;
b. Are they consistent with the MYFF, the strategic direction and accepted approaches
c. Are messages relevant to the specific information needs of the target audiences
d. Do the produced materials make the UNFPA staff more grounded in the understanding of
multiple dimensions of the issue and strategies to deal with it.
e. Is the substance/message consistent from one publication to another?

2. Utility of the produced materials:

a. What type of produced materials are being used
b. Who and for what purpose use the materials
c. Do the produced materials represent the ways/channels (preferred by the users) of
receiving information/learning.
d. Do the produced materials help the staff to understand the concept and provide guidance
relevant to them for programming decision/needs.
e. Are publications effective in communicating the message and advocating for gender
issues to the specific target audiences

3. What needs to be done to make the materials more useful and to facilitate the effective design and
implementation of women empowerment programmes using human rights and culturally sensitive
approaches

4. What is the decision-making process with regards to the production, dissemination and marketing
of the publications/materials; what are the processes to ensure that the needs of the intended users
are addressed.

42
 5. What are the good examples of relevant, useful and being used publications/materials and what are
their specific strengths and features to be built on and scaled up in the future. Which of the used
materials had positive impact on the users and what positive impact was carried into organization

Annex 1 suggests a preliminary audience for the evaluation use for the above mentioned evaluation
questions. Annex 1 will be finalized by the main stakeholders/reference group prior to the desk review.

Intended Uses and Users:

The following organizational units have a vested interest in the proposed inquiry and its findings:
The primary stakeholder for this evaluation will be CGHR branch as well as other branches of TSD, CSTs
and IERD. These organizational units are directly involved in the production of the guidelines and
publications and it is expected that the findings of the assessment will increase their knowledge and
understanding about the evaluation and will be taken into consideration in their decision making with
regards to the future strategies and approaches to production and dissemination of the
publications/materials.
The secondary stakeholders include the main intended users of the material/publications such as GDs and
the COs and through them the national counterparts and other partners. They will benefit from
incorporating their experiences and suggestions in the recommendations and later on by the improved
quality and utility of the printed materials targeted at their needs. Annex 1 explains the expected potential
use of the findings by different stakeholders.

Since the impact of the evaluation comes not just from the findings but from going through the thinking
process that the exercise requires, both stakeholders will be involved in its design and to the extent possible
in the implementation. It is not unusual that the evaluation findings shed light at some bottlenecks of the
organizational development such as: values, structure, culture, and this way UNFPA as a whole can
benefit from it through collective reflection on the changes needed.

Methodology:
The inquiry is intended to be a forward-looking, learning and participatory exercise. The underlying
philosophy of the proposed evaluative inquiry is based on the recognition that evaluation is not only a
means of accumulating information for decision making and action, but it is a learning opportunity which
helps organization to learn about its practice and understand need for transformation and further
development. Therefore, broadening the learning audience is key to achieve the above- mentioned goal.
Learning will occur through the involvement of multiple constituencies each representing different
perspectives, previous knowledge and experiences and engaging in dialogue about the meaning of what
they do and how they do it.

Highly participatory and collaborative approach will also help to address the main weakness of the UNFPA
evaluations: limited utilization of the findings and feeding them in the organizational development. Having
this in mind we have encouraged the stakeholders’ participation starting from the stage of conceptualization
of the inquiry and their involvement will remain crucial not only through the entire process of the exercise
but even afterwards at the stage of the implementation of the recommendations (see the Communicating
and Reporting section).

Active involvement of the intended users will help them to articulate their needs and concerns and made
them genuinely interested in the outcomes of the inquiry. Frequent and inclusive communication with the
main stakeholders throughout the inquiry will ensure that they receive timely and useful information
relevant to their information needs. Their participation in discussing findings, formulating
recommendations and prioritizing them and translating into plan of action will ensure their ownership and
increase the chances of implementation.

The inquiry will use mixed methods such as questionnaires, surveys, desk review of materials, dialogues,
focus group discussions for the sensitive issues. Utilization of narrative and dialogical methods will allow

43
us to have the most complete account of the UNFPA staff perspectives and experiences regarding the
evaluation issue. The data analysis and interpretation will be done by the Evaluation Adviser and External
consultants in collaboration with CGHR branch and reference group since they are most closely associated
with the issue being explored. The interpretation of the findings will be made in working sessions with the
evaluation team and reference group and even may be a wider group of the staff. These sessions will use
findings as a catalyst for further dialogue and reflection that might even go beyond the original data, and
these sessions will be considered as an integral part of the assessment.

To make a greater impact on learning and organizational development, the assessment will have the
appreciative stance and first of all will look at what is good, seeking to do more of that, rather than look for
what is wrong, trying to fix it. Even the title of the inquiry is positively charged and creates the image of
what the organization is looking forward to. However, appreciating what is good will not preclude applying
constructive and rigorous critique.

The main purpose of consultations with the stakeholders at the very first stage is to focus the assessment. In
the process of dialogues and interviews with different stakeholders the purpose of evaluation will be
clarified and the evaluation questions will be collaboratively developed based on the needs, interests and
expectations of the stakeholders. The draft TORs of the inquiry will be prepared and shared with the
reference group to incorporate their comments and concerns. This will be followed by the brief survey,
which will be sent out to all professional staff to find out about their experiences of using gender related
printed materials. The assumption is that the most committed to mainstreaming gender in UNFPA
programmes and involved in this process will respond to this questionnaire and they will be also included
in the reference group. Annex 3 contains the questionnaire to be sent out before the review.

Its results will contribute to the finalization of the assessment design and identification of the list of
publications to be reviewed.

After analysing the results of this survey, the respondents who had experience with the
publications/materials might be contacted with the follow-up questionnaire/interview. The final decision on
the materials to be reviewed will be done jointly with CGHR branch and the consultant during the
consultant’s briefing at the Headquarters.

Some of the participants of the dialogues and respondents to the survey will form a reference group. After
the completion of the desk review, the emerged issues will be discussed/clarified in the course of interviews
with the key stakeholders and the findings will be shared and converted into recommendations at the
working session with the stakeholders.

Along with having a web site for the inquiry which would reflect the progress and the process of the
inquiry, the relationship with the stakeholders will be sustained through various audience specific reporting
and communicating channels. These will include direct e-mails, face-to face briefings, brief progress
updates, etc. It will remain crucial at the final stage of applying the findings of the assessment to develop
and prioritize recommendations.

Scope of the Assessment:

The scope of assessment will be determined in collaboration with the CGHR branch and based on the
results of the first survey. The involvement of the stakeholders will be crucial in selecting the most useful
publications since only the users can best distill them.
Tentatively the assessment will cover:

1. Gender related publications produced by the Headquarters and CSTs.

2. All UNFPA guidelines and particularly the gender related guidelines.
3. A sample of training materials related to gender.
4. All UNFPA publications/materials, which were referred to by the staff as good, useful and being
used for understanding and application of the gender concepts.

44
 5. A sample of other TSD, CST and IERD publications to assess the gender mainstreaming
dimension as well as some evaluation reports as a reference.
6. A sample of publications produced by UNFPA at the country level in 1-2 countries per region.
(Djibouti, Morocco, Yemen; India, Iran, Nigeria, Kenya)

Team composition:
The Evaluation team will consist of two external consultants and the UNFPA evaluation adviser.

The UNFPA evaluation adviser will do overall management and coordination of the inquiry. In addition
she will conduct pre assessment dialogues, will administer the surveys and other data collection activities,
organize working sessions with the reference group in accordance to the work plan and as needed, will
ensure proper communicating and reporting throughout the entire exercise.
An external consultant experienced in the area of gender and gender mainstreaming will be responsible
for conducting the assessment of the publications and producing all written reports based on the outputs
and deadlines specified in the assessment’s TORs including the evaluation questions. More specifically in
addition to reviewing the materials and writing the reports the consultant will conduct interviews with the
key informants and conduct a findings validation workshop with the main stakeholders. The assignment
will involve three visits to New York: for briefing and finalizing the scope of review; for conducting
interviews and for conducting the workshop.
A short-term communication consultant will be hired to assess the quality of communicating and
packaging of the key gender related messages in the UNFPA publications. His/her input will be
incorporated in the main report.
An intern will assist in compiling and obtaining of the existing materials.

Communicating and Reporting:

The past experience shows that effective use of evaluation findings is a weakest link in PM&E cycle in
UNFPA. This issue will be addressed not only by using the participatory and interactive strategies and
approaches throughout the entire exercise but also by tailoring communication and reporting activities for
various stakeholders taking into consideration their interest level, accessibility, reading ability, role in the
decision making etc. It is expected that this approach will develop an increased ownership and interest in
the assessment and its findings and will feed the findings into policy and operational decisions.

Reporting for various purposes and targeting different audiences will take place both during and after the
inquiry. During the assessment the stakeholders will be advised about the evaluation design and
implementation; about specific evaluation activities and overall progress of evaluation. The reporting and
communicating needs of different stakeholders as well as appropriate formats for communicating and
reporting will be specified in the course of the exercise. However, as of now it seems that, besides the
formal written report, it will be important at the end of the exercise to conduct a validation workshop with
the reference group and other stakeholders if possible to validate and share the assessment findings and to
formulate collaboratively the recommendations and follow up actions. The main purpose of this activity
will be to build general awareness of and support for the findings and facilitate change and improvement.
The conclusions of this workshop will be shared with the EC and the PC along with the formal final report.
Two-page summary report will be prepared for the Fund wide dissemination for awareness and follow up.
Management & Work Planning:
A tentative work plan describing different stages of the assessment, their processes and products are
presented in the annex 2. This plan will be further detailed, adjusted/modified in consultation with the
CGHR branch and the consultant and further as needed in the course of the assessment subject to the
agreement of the Evaluation Adviser. Key deadlines for the written products will be as follows:

TOR and work plan: January 20, 2005

First draft of the Final Report: May 15, 2005
Working session to formulate and prioritize the recommendations: end of May 2005
Final Report: July, 2005

45
Annex 1: Linking the evaluation questions to the audience and evaluation use.

Possible Evaluation Questions Possible Evaluation Use

Audience
Are the concepts valid and Knowledge about the validity of the
consistent with MYFF and strategic concepts.
direction? Knowledge about best practices.
Are messages clear? Better understanding of the needs of the
Is the content consistent with the users.
state of the art and accepted
TSD, CSTs, approaches? Further refinement of the concepts.
Are messages relevant to the
specific needs of the target audience? Decisions about the strategies and
Do publications meet the quality approaches to the production and
standards? dissemination of the future publications.
Do produced materials make us
more grounded in our understanding
of multiple dimensions of the issue
and strategies to deal with it?
Do they provide insights on
UNFPA comparative advantage
and how to leverage it?
Is the substance/message consist-
ent from one publication to another?
Do produced materials represent
the best (preferred by the users)
ways of receiving
information/learning.
Programme Do publications/materials help me Knowledge about availability of
staff (GDs to understand the concept and publications/materials.
and COs) provide me with guidance for
programming decisions? Knowledge about concepts and best
Are they relevant to my specific practices.
needs?
What publications/materials are Better decisions about programme
being used, what for and why? development.
What needs to be done to
improve further the materials
produced by Headquarters and CSTs?

IERD Are publications effective in Knowledge about the utilization of the

communicating the message and produced publications.
advocating the gender issues to
groups? Development of production and
Could they be efficient for resource dissemination strategy for publications.
mobilization?
Who are the actual users?

46
Annex 2: Work Plan

Phase Key processes Main products Responsible

1.Conducting 1.Minutes recording 1.Evaluation Adviser
Preparation/Design dialogues, interviews, the main outcomes of the
consultations with discussions, draft
CGHR branch and proposal
November 2004 – other stakeholders
Nov.-Dec. 2004).
January 2005
2. Identification and 2.Evaluation Adviser
cataloguing of the 2.List of UNFPA CGHR branch, Intern,
publications/materials. printed materials related to
(Oct. 2004-Feb. 2005) gender mainstreaming
produced in 1997-2004

3. List of the materials to 3.Evaluation Adviser and C

3.Preparation of the list of publicatio be assessed in the
for the desk review in course of the desk review.
consultation with the
CGHR and taking into
account the results of the
survey. (Feb. 2005)

4. Conducting the pre assessment su 4.Findings of the survey 4.Evaluation Adviser

analysing the data obtained. reflected in the TOR.
(Jan.-Feb. 2005)

5.Preparation of the draft of TORs, d 5.TOR

CGHR, the gender consultant, valida 5.Evaluation Adviser
reference group and evalnet.
(Jan.–Feb. 2005)

6.Identification and recruitment of th

(Jan. 2005)

6.Consutants are on board 6.Evaluation Adviser

Carrying out the 7.Briefing of the 7. Finalized TORs and 7.Evaluation Adviser
consultant; meeting with workplan
Assessment CGHR branch.
(February 14 2005) 8.External consultant –
January 2005- 8.First draft of the Gender specialist
April 2005 8.Conducting the desk review of the assessment report.
materials with the focus on the best
most useful publications (Mar.-Apr.

9.Assessment of
quality of the 9.External consultant-com
publications’ design and specialist.
packaging of messages. 9.Draft report.
(Mar.-Apr. 2005)

47
 10.Conducting follow-up
survey, interviews with the
key stakeholders and
analysing the obtained data.
(May 2005)
Reporting, 11.Reference group debriefing
on the main findings, testing
out key recommendations
validation and (May 2005)
dissemination of 12.Circulation of the report to
various stakeholders for
comments and feedback
the findings (May 2005)
May 2005-June 13.Recommendations
development workshop with
reference group and other
stakeholders
(June 2005)
14.Finalization of report.
(July 2005)
15.Presentation of
findings and recommendations
to the PC and EC. (July)
16.Preparation of the
summary report for the Fund
wide dissemination. (July 2005)
17. Integration of the
suggested action plan in the
PADs of the respective staff
members during the mid-year
PAD review.
48
10.Report on the survey 10.Evaluation Adviser,
findings to be Gender consultant?
incorporated in the
assessment report.
11.Second draft of the 11.Evaluation Adviser,
assessment report. External consultants.
12.Third draft of the 12.Evaluation Adviser,
assessment report. External consultant-
gender
specialist
13.Inputs into the 13. Evaluation Adviser,
assessment report. External consultant
14.Final report
14. External consultant-
gender specialist
15. Power point
presentation 15.Evaluation Adviser
16.Executive summary 16. External consultant-
gender specialist
17.Revised PADs
include the proposed 17. Respective
priority based plan of Divisions
action
 Annex 3: Questionnaire 1 for the Inquiry: ”Focusing on Gender”.

1. Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in this survey and helping us to
conduct the evaluative inquiry: “Focusing on Gender: Assessment of the quality and
utility of the UNFPA publications/materials related to gender and gender mainstreaming
and produced in 1997-2004”.

There are 13 short questions, which you should be able to complete in 10-15 minutes. The results
of this survey will help us to decide on the specific materials/publications to be reviewed. Our
intention is to focus on the most useful for you and the most used ones in order to learn from our
strengths and best practices.
Please answer the questions below openly and be assured that your responses will be collected and
analysed anonymously and confidentially.

1. What unit do you work for:

CO, CST, TSD, GD, IERD, SPO, DOS, LCMB, HRU, DMS.

2. What are your substantive areas of work (indicate as many as apply)

PDS, RH, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Advocacy, Young People,
Other (please specify)

3. Are you
gender focal point
gender adviser
none of those

4. How long have you been working in UNFPA?

Less than 1 year
1-5 years
more than 5 years

5. Please briefly list any publications/ materials/ documents produced by UNFPA, which you have
found helpful in understanding or applying gender mainstreaming.

6. Have you used any of the materials in the attached list to facilitate your work ?

Yes No

If the answer to the question 6 is “no”go straight to the question 10;

if yes ,continue with the questions 7, 8, 9 to express your opinion about the utility of those materials?
Rate the materials that you are familiar with according to the following scale: very helpful - helpful to
some extent - not at all helpful. Depending on your rating put the publications’ numbers as they appear in
the attached list, under one of the three following questions:

7. Put below the numbers of the materials/publications that you consider very helpful .

8. Put below the numbers of the materials/publications that you consider helpful to some extent.

9. Put below the numbers of the materials/publications that you consider not at all helpful.

10. If the answer to the question 6 is no, please explain why?

never heard of them
not available
not available in my working language ( which language is that?)

49
 not clear
not helpful/relevant for my work
other- please explain

11. What other materials on gender and gender mainstreaming, not produced by UNFPA, have you
used and found helpful. Please, list them below.

12. Did you have some experience of applying gender mainstreaming approach in your work at
UNFPA or participating in programme/ project, which aimed/succeeded at promoting gender
equality and women’s empowerment?

Yes
No

14. If yes, you might wish to provide us with brief information about the type of activity and your role.

50
Annex 4: Initial Criteria for Quality Assessment of UNFPA Publications*

1. Content of the ‘Gender’ Message

1.1 Reflects complexity of gender & development approach without becoming too ‘abstract’.
1.2 Up-to-date, reflects latest discourse and practices on promoting gender equality.
1.3 Reflects awareness of changes in gender relations over time, and link with achieving development
goals, including MDGs.
1.4 Consistency of the message with the MYFF goals and strategies.
1.5 Reflects both men’s and women’s perspectives

2. Presentation of the ‘Gender’ Message

2.1 Clarity of concept tailored to take account of different stakeholder groups.

2.2 Clarity of language (unambiguous).
2.3 Consistency of message from one material/publication to the next
2.4 Quality of translation.

3. Relevance of the ‘Gender’ Message

3.1 UNFPA staff’s sphere of work and responsibilities.

3.2 Partners’ and counterparts’ spheres of work and responsibilities.
3.3 Cultural and socio-economic context of host country.
3.4 Link with MDGs.

4. Channels of Dissemination of the ‘Gender’ Message

4.1 Based on a clear advocacy strategy.

4.2 Based on an effective communications strategy.
4.3 Dissemination of best practices and link with effective application of lessons learnt.
4.4 Partnership development through dialogue on gender equality.
4.5 Building consensus within the organization on aims of gender equality.
4.6 Link with capacity/capability of UNFPA staff.

5. Effectiveness of the ‘Gender’ Message

5.1 Effectively contribute to new levels of understanding of the gender and gender mainstreaming concept
5.2 Effectively provides insights with which to leverage the UNFPA comparative advantage.
5.3 Clear understanding that gender mainstreaming is not a ‘goal’ as such, but an ongoing process through
which to achieve the promotion of gender equality.
5.4 Clear understanding that UNFPA interventions impact on and are affected by other interventions (UN
agencies, international organizations, NGOs).
5.5 Link with capacity/capability of UNFPA staff to use gender mainstreaming related tools.

6. Wider context of the ‘Gender’ Message

6.1 Clarity on link between benefits to women, gender equality, reproductive rights and poverty alleviation.
6.2 Clarity on link between programme/project interventions and contribution to women’s social and
economic empowerment.
______
*[Note: These criteria were revised during the consultation process. See Appendix V for the final version
used in the assessment.]

51
APPENDIX II: Questions for Pre-Assessment Dialogues and Interviews

1. To what extent do the materials produced within UNFPA correspond to the ideal publications related to
gender and gender mainstreaming. What are the examples of good and useful publications.

2. If you are a user, how often do you refer/use the UNFPA publications to understand better the concepts
of gender and gender mainstreaming? How helpful are they? What do you appreciate the most? What is
important to have in this type of publications?

3. How can UNFPA produce better materials, what should be different?

4. If you are not using the mentioned publications/materials, why: not available? no time? not useful? anything else?

5. Do you agree that the proposed desk review is the best ways to address your needs and concerns?

6. What are your specific needs that you would like to be addressed by the review?

7. What questions would you like to get the answers for? And how would you use the findings.

52
APPENDIX III: Overview of Survey Responses of UNFPA Staff

53
54
55
APPENDIX IV: Agenda for the Recommendations Development Workshop

8:45am Welcome coffee

9:00 am INTRODUCTION

1. Aim and expected output of the Recommendations Development Workshop

2. Brief Recap of the Assessment

¾ Objectives

¾ Process and Methodology

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE ASSESSMENT

10 am – 1pm DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS

56
APPENDIX V: Definition of Quality Criteria

The wide variety of categories of UNFPA gender-related materials reviewed required developing for each
criterion a set of subcriteria.70 Obviously not each subcriterion can be applicable to each and every
document, given variations in objective, focus, time period of production of a document and the intended
target audience. A document identified as a positive example implies that at least one or more criteria and
various pertinent subcriteria are applicable.

1. Quality Standard of Gender Concepts

Clarity in the presentation of:

• The perspective of both men and women.
• The rationale of gender equality/equity and links with women’s empowerment.
• The interlinkages between gender inequality and other forms of social, economic and political
inequalities.
• The relevance of gender, reproductive health and rights to population dynamics and poverty with
all its complex manifestations and implications.
• The need for multiple strategic interventions at the political, economic, legal levels to achieve
gender equality.
• Culture-specific perceptions of masculinity and femininity and their impact on power relations
between men and women in society.
• The relevance of different socio-economic and cultural contexts to tackling manifestations of
gender inequality.
• The manner in which complexities of ongoing discourses on gender and development are defined
and discussed, contributing to a shared understanding of the universality of human rights.

Coherence in presentation of gender equality/equity as a goal, and gender mainstreaming as the

multidimensional process of achieving this goal. This is reflected, for example, in:
• The use of sex-disaggregated data, information and facts to reveal the impact of policies,
programmes, strategies on gender specific situations, needs, roles and responsibilities;
• Helping the reader to understand the problems experienced by disadvantaged women or men,
causes of the problems, obstacles for overcoming them and possible choices of solution.
• The complementarity of the approaches and tools of gender mainstreaming and of women’s
empowerment respectively.
• The importance of gender awareness and gender responsive policies and strategies to tackling
gender bias and gaps.
• The utilization of strategies and tools for encouraging male involvement, responsibility and
support for women’s empowerment.
• The utilization of rights-based approach that aims to be culturally sensitive while at the same time
upholding the universality of human rights.

2. Consistency of Gender Concepts with UNFPA Strategic Directions:

This implies consistency with:

¾ The principles and strategies of the 1995 FWCW and its follow-up meetings (Beijing+5 and
Beijing+10), as well as to CEDAW.
¾ The ICPD principles and Programme of Action (ICPD+5 and ICPD+10).

70
For the purpose of categorization, UNFPA gender-related materials were divided into the following
categories: 1. Strategy documents, guidelines and operational tools; 2. Training manuals and materials; 3.
General gender-related publications; 4. Region- and country-specific publications (gender related and
general); 5. Annual reports; 6. Other UNFPA publications. Most materials were in English, but the review
included some in Arabic, French and Spanish. See the Preliminary Assessment Report, Final Draft, May
2005.

57
¾ The MDGs, in particular Goal 1/eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 3/promote gender
equality and empower women; Goal 5/improve maternal health; and Goal 6/combat HIV/AIDS.
¾ UNFPA MYFF goals (all couples/individuals enjoy good reproductive health; balance between
population dynamics and socio-economic development; and achievement of gender equality and
women’s empowerment) and strategies (advocacy; strengthening national capacity; building/using the
knowledge base; and promoting, strengthening and coordinating partnerships).

3. Relevance of Gender Messages to Needs of Intended Target Audience

• The target audience is clearly defined.

• The information needs are thoroughly assessed and addressed in a culturally sensitive way and
within the human rights framework
• The information specific to the intended target audience is presented in a broader context
demonstrating the complexity of gender issues and the need for a multipronged approach to
proposed solutions.
• The know-how for application of gender concepts in the specific thematic and strategic areas is
clearly spelled out.
• Use of coherent terminology and unambiguous language that avoids ‘academic jargon’.

4. Consistency of Substance of Gender-Related Messages Within and Across Publications

This includes:
• Consistency with the state-of the art understanding at the time of the publication date of a
document
• Consistency in the substance of gender-related messages from one document to the other, in
particular those covering the same thematic or technical area and produced at more or less the same
time.
• Consistency, within the same document, in the substance of gender-related messages in all
pertinent chapters and sections.
• Whether or not gender is discussed in a separate chapter, language and terminology in the rest of
the document avoid gender neutral or gender biased language.

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APPENDIX VI: Definition of Communication Criteria

1. Targeting the Intended Audience

The target audience will affect the writing style and, vocabulary. However, irrespective of type of target
audience, it is important to keep min mind that all readers will generally respond to the same stylistic
devices reflected, for example in strong narrative and first person accounts that encourages identification
with the subject. It also implies ensuring that information is presented logically, is well-researched and
specific.

2. Packaging and Design

The role of good design is to beguile, invite and engage the reader. Good design does not trivialize or
overpower content but is the vehicle through the reader will first interact with the product. Linked to this is
the choice of images, which should aim to encourage the reader’s identification with the subject focus.

3. Quality of Writing
Writing quality is part of the design. It functions as a form of persuasion, i.e., reassuring readers that what
they are reading and the related images are accurate and deserving of attention. A product that reflects
quality writing - which also implies ensuring that the language used is accessible - will have a greater
impact and will reach a wider audience. However, this does not imply using ‘simple’ language in the
mistaken belief that this guarantees accessibility.

4. Typography and Layout

Positive examples includes variation in font usage, correct hyphenation, sufficient variation between
headers and sub-heads and avoiding cramped body texts that fatigue the eye.

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APPENDIX VII: Selected Indicative Data on Quality of UNFPA Gender-Related Materials

Note:
¾ The total number of UNFPA gender-related materials compiled for the appreciative
assessment: 250 covering the period 1997-March 2005.
¾ The compilation into categories was based on the title of the document. ‘Gender-specific’
implies that ‘gender’ or ‘women’ is specifically mentioned in the title.
¾ The total number of the non-random sample of documents analysed in the desk review is 124
(49.6% of the total of 250 documents compiled for the assessment). The analysis is presented
in a Matrix (April 2005).
¾ In the case of the first three categories listed, all the documents compiled were included in the
desk review. In the remaining categories, a non-random selection was made based on criteria
such as date, regional and thematic presentation, and language.
¾ The four quality criteria defined and developed for the qualitative appreciative assessment are
as follows:71
ƒ One: Quality standard of gender concepts
ƒ Two: Consistency of gender concepts with UNFPA strategic direction.
ƒ Three: Relevance of gender messages to needs of target audience
ƒ Four: Consistence of substance of gender-related message

71
See Appendix V: Definition of Quality Criteria.

60
Document Total number Number of As % of total As % of total Materials reviewed Materials reviewed Materials reviewed
Category of materials number of number in this category in this category in this category
materials reviewed in materials of 124 materials where one or more where no quality where criterion
compiled this compiled in this analysed for desk quality criteria met criteria met one met
by category category category review (no.) (% ) (no.) (%) (no.) (%)
I. Strategy 12 12 100% 9.7% 9 75.0% 3 25% 9 75.0%
Documents,
Guidelines &
Operational
Tools
II. Training 6 5 83.3% 4.1% 5 100% - - 5 100%
Manuals
& Materials
III. General 17 17 100% 13.6% 17 100% - - 17 100%
Gender-Specific
Publications
IV. Region- 88 25 28.4% 20.2% 25 100% - - 25 100%
and Country-
Specific
Publications:
A. Gender-
Specific
IV. Region- 68 27 39.7% 21.7% 18 66.6% 9 33.4% 15 55.6%
and Country-
Specific
Publications:
B. General
V. Annual 26 25 96.2% 20.2% 22 88.0% 3 12.0% 22 88.0%
Reports
VI. Other 33 13 36.3% 10.5% 11 84.6% 2 15.4% 11 84.6%
UNFPA
Publications
TOTAL 250 124 49.6% 100% 107 86.3% 17 13.7% 104 83.9%
All Categories
APPENDIX VIII: List of Selected Positive Examples of Documents Identified through the
Desk Review

I. Strategy Documents, Guidelines and Operational Tools

1. ‘UNFPA Policies and Procedures: Programme. UNFPA Support for Mainstreaming Gender Issues in
Population and Development Programmes’. 1998.

2. An Operational Tool on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW) for UNFPA Programmes. 1999.

3. ‘Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF) 2000-2003’. Report of the Executive Director. 2000.

4. A Practical Approach to Gender-Based Violence: A Programme Guide for Health Care Providers &
Managers. By Lynne Stevens – in collaboration with UNFPA and UNIFEM. 2001.

5. ‘UNFPA Strategic Direction. Positioning Statement’. 15 May, 2002.

6. ‘Multi-Year Funding Framework (MYFF) 2004-2007’. Report of Executive Director. 2003/b.

7. ‘Guidelines/Checklist for Mainstreaming Culture, Gender and Human Rights in Planning and
Programming Processes’. UNFPA CST, Harare. 2004/c.

8. ‘Guidelines for UNFPA Support to Reproductive Health, Population and Development, and Gender’.
2005.

II. Training Manuals/Materials

9. Distance Learning Courses on Population Issues. Course 3: Gender Mainstreaming: Taking Actions,
Getting Results. 1999 (posted on web site 2004).

10. ‘UNFPA Training Manual: Gender, Population and Development. 2001.

11. Module on Three-day Training of Primary Health Center Medical Officers on Gender & RH with
Facilitator Manual. UNFPA, India. 2002/a.

III. General Gender-Specific Publications

12. Women, Population and Food Security. Food for the Future. 1998/a.

13. Violence Against Girls and Women: A Public Health Priority. 1998/b.

14. Women’s Empowerment and Reproductive Health: Links Throughout the Life Cycle. 2000/a.

15. Partners for Change. Enlisting Men in HIV/AIDS Prevention. 2000/b.

16. A New Role for Men. Partners for Women’s Empowerment. 2000/c.

17. ‘Gender: A Progress Report’. 2001.

18. Women War Peace. Progress of the World’s Women. Volume 1. The Independent Expert’s
Assessment. 2002/b.

19. Empowerment of Women. How Population Programmes Contribute to Eradication of Poverty and
Empowerment of Women. Partners in Population and Development. A South-South Initiative. Report
of a Symposium. 10 November, 2003/a.

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20. Culture Matters - Working with Communities and Faith-Based Organization. Case Studies from
Country Programmes. 2004/a.
21. Gender-Responsive Programming for Poverty Reduction. Technical Paper. 2004/b.

22. Women and HIV/AIDS. Confronting the Crisis. 2004/d.

IV. Region- and Country- Specific Publications

A. Gender-Specific
23. ‘HIV/AIDS Consultation Workshop for Arab States – Cairo. Challenges of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic:
The Gender and Human Rights Context’ (Power Point Presentation). CST Amman. no date/i.

24. ‘Male Involvement in Reproductive Health and Mainstreaming Gender in Population and
Development Programs’. UNFPA CST/Addis Ababa. Interim Report of the Workshop held 2-6
February 1998/c.

25. ‘Approche Genre de L’Exercise O.N.E.P.’. Dakar. January, 2000/e.

26. ‘Gender, Health and Development: Gender Mainstreaming in Sexual and Reproductive Health:
Services and Programme Management’. (GMRH Workshop) – CST Amman 2001/d.

27. ‘Report on the South-South Intercountry Technical Meeting on Male Involvement in Reproductive
Health in East and South-East Asia’. Bangkok, Thailand. 13-15 November, 2001/i.

28. Inter-country Workshop for Parliamentary Advocacy for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
2001/m.

29. ‘Genre, Democratie et Gouvernance en Afrique de l’Ouest. L’égalité a la croisée des chemins’.
Dakar CST. September 2003/b.

30. ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Gender Equity in Armed Forces in Latin
America: Cases Studies from Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru . 2003/f.
Salud sexual y reproductiva, prevención del VIH/SIDA y equidad de género en Fuerzas Armadas en
América Latina y Caribe: estudios de caso de Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay y perú UNFPA LAC
CST.

31. ‘Gender Equality and Equity Policy’. Costa Rica Ministry of Public Security. 2003/j.
Política de igualdad y equidad de género, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública de Costa Rica. Costa Rica
Ministry of Public Security, UNFPA. LAC CST.

32. South Asia Conference for the Prevention & Treatment of Obstetric Fistula. Dhaka, Bangladesh.
UNFPA. 9-11 December, 2003/k.

33. ‘Training Handbook in Human Rights of Young Women and the Implementation of CEDAW’.
2003/m.
Manual de capacitación en derechos humanos de las mujeres jóvenes y aplicación de la CEDAW .
UNFPA, UNIFEM, ILANUD, Global Fund for Women, REDLAC (Latin American and Caribbean
Network of Young People for the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Rights). LAC CST.

34. ‘Adolescent Males: Gender, Identities and Sexualities in Latin America’. 2003/n.
Varones adolescentes: género, identidades y sexualidades en América Latina,
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) Chile, Network of Masculinities Chile and
UNFPA. LAC CST.

63
35. ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women’s Aging’. 2003/p.
La salud sexual y reproductiva de la mujer adulta mayor:
un campo por explorar y evidenciar .UNFPA CST.

36. ‘Gender and Globalization: Human Rights, Property Relations, and Economic Opportunities
(UNFPA): Arab Women and Economic Development’. Annual Joint Seminar. The Arab Fund of For
Economic and Social Development. Kuwait, 20-21 October 2003/u.
37. ‘Violence Against Women in South Asia – Regional Analysis’. 2003/w.
38. ‘Gender Mechanisms in Latin America and UNFPA Actions : Assessment and Perspective’. 2003/x.
‘Advocacy for Gender and Reproductive Health from Islamic Perspective’ (Arabic). Algeria, Amman
CST. June 2004/b.

39. Research Package: Engendering Population Census in South and West Asia. 2004/q.
- ‘Report of the Regional Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Engendering Population Census in South
and West Asia’.
- ‘Engendering Population Census in South and West Asia: Collected Papers’.

40. ‘Gender and Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Reproductive Health Behaviour in Nigeria’. Formative
Research in 12 States. CST Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 2004/r.

41. ICPD + 10: Progress in the Pacific in Gender Equality, Equity and Empowerment of Women –
Technical Document by Dr. Annette Sachs Robertson, UNFPA CST Adviser on Reproductive Health
Programme, Assessment and Operational Research. 2005/a.

B. General
42. ‘Quick Count of the Population of Somalia: Guidelines for Data Collection’. no date/a.

43. ‘Integrated Population Data System’ (Arabic). Amman. no date/d.

44. Reorientation of National Family Planning Programmes Toward a Broader Reproductive Health,
including Family Planning and Sexual Health, Approach in East and South-East Asia. 1998/b.

45. Reproductive Health of the Population of Latvia. 1998/c.

46. Report of the UNFPA Inter-Country Workshop Adolescent Reproductive Health for East and South-
East Asia and the Pacific Island Countries. May 2000/b.

47. ‘HIV/AIDS and STDs: Causes, Consequences and Preventive Programmes’. 2001/a.

48. Situation and Voices: The Older Poor and Excluded in South Africa and India. Population and
Development Strategies # 2. 2002/g.

49. Promotion and Defense of Reproductive Rights: New Challenge for the National Human Rights
Institutions. 2003/c.
Promocion y defensa de los derechos reproductivos: nuevo reto para las instituciones nacionales de
derechos humano. UNFPA, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. LAC CST.

50. Promotion and Defence of Reproductive Rights: A new Challenge for the National Human Rights
Institutions. 2003/d.

51. UNFPA Support to National Capacity Development Achievements and Challenges. 2003/i.

52. ‘UNFPA Regional Programme for Countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia’. DASE, UNFPA
NY, September 2003/n.

64
53. ‘The Arab Population Forum. Progress Made Towards Achievement of the ICPD PoA Objectives in
the Arab Region’. Beirut, 19-21 November, 2004/a.

54. ‘Healing Wounds, Instilling Hope: The Tanzanian Partnership Against Obstetric Fistula’.
UNFPA/Population Council. 2004/b.

55. ‘Poverty, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Human Rights’. 2004/h.
Pobreza, salud sexual y reproductiva y derechos humano. UNFPA CST. - LAC CST

V. Annual Reports
56. The State of World Population 1997. The Right to Chose: Reproductive Rights and Reproductive
Health.

57. The State of World Population 1998. The New Generations.

58. The State of World Population 1999. 6 Billion. A Time for Choices.

59. The State of World Population 2000. Lives Together, Worlds Apart: Men and Women in a Time of
Change

60. The State of World Population 2003. Making 1 Billion Count.

61. The State of World Population 2004. The Cairo Consensus at Ten: Population, Reproductive Health
and the Global Effort to End Poverty.

62. UNFPA Annual Report 1997.

63. UNFPA Annual Report 1999.

64. UNFPA Annual Report 2000.

65. UNFPA Annual Report 2001.

66. UNFPA Annual Report 2002.

67. UNFPA Annual Report 2003.

68. ‘Report of the Executive Director for 1999: Aspects of the Work of UNFPA in 1999’.

69. ‘Report of the Executive Director for 2003: Programme Highlights’.

70. ‘Division for Arab States and Europe – Annual Report 2004’.

71. ‘Latin America and the Caribbean Division – Annual Report 2004’.

72. ‘Asia and the Pacific Division – Annual Report 2004’.

73. ‘Africa Division – Annual Report 2004’.

VI. Other UNFPA Publications

74. Reproductive Health Essentials: Securing the Supply. no date/d.

75. UNFPA at Work. Five Country Snapshots. 1999/e.

65
76. ‘Adding it Up. The Benefits of Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care’. 2003/a.

77. Preventing HIV Infection, Promoting Reproductive Health. 2003/f.

78. The Impact of HIV/AIDS: A Population and Development Prospective. Population and Development
Strategies # 9. 2003/h.

79. Breaking the Cycle of Transmission. Sexually Transmitted Infections. UNFPA (RHB/TSD). 2004/a.

80. ICPD at 10. Where Are We Now? Special Report. 2004/b.

81. Meeting the Challenges of Migration. Progress since the ICPD. UNFPA/UNITAR/IOM/OLO. 2004/d.

82. Working From Within. Culturally Sensitive Approaches. 2004/o.

66
APPENDIX IX: Definition of Utility Criteria

Utility in the sense of usefulness is deemed to entail three specific dimensions.

1. Quality and communication of UNFPA gender-related materials.

¾ The appreciative assessment of the quality and communication of UNFPA gender-related materials is
an objective dimension of utility.
¾ It is based on the four quality criteria applied in the desk review of a sample of documents and on
communication criteria.

2. Contribution to achieving UNFPA strategic goals.

¾ Usefulness in this objective sense is also linked to achieving UNFPA strategic direction as per the
organization’s mandate in general, and the aim of achieving gender equality through supporting
women’s empowerment in particular.
¾ Materials reflecting effective gender mainstreaming contribute to achieving UNFPA strategic goal in
respect of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

3. Users’ subjective assessment.

¾ This pertains whether and to what extent UNFPA staff as primary user finds the pertinent gender-
related materials useful, information elicited through the key interviews.
¾ This is a subjective assessment based on a complexity of factors influencing users’ views if/to what
extent these materials are useful to them.

Clearly there are linkages as well as some overlap between these three dimensions, that – in combination –
contribute to achieving UNFPA strategic direction as reflected in the MYFF. More specifically, these
interlinkages have implications for achieving the strategic goal of gender equality through women’s
empowerment, a goal that overarches other UNFPA strategic objectives.

67
APPENDIX X: Questions for Interviews with Key Stakeholders

1. Background Information on Interviewee:

a. Division
b. Job title/description/sphere of responsibility
c. Duration of employment in UNFPA
d. Received gender training?
¾ When?
¾ Where?
¾ Content of gender training?
¾ Follow-up gender training?
e. How would you define gender mainstreaming?
f. Relevance of gender mainstreaming to your sphere of responsibilities?
g. Do you think all UNFPA staff is accountable to implement gender mainstreaming?
h. You have been provided with a list of gender-related materials that have been qualitatively
assessed and are deemed to be relatively good examples of gender mainstreaming:
¾ Are you familiar with any of these materials? Which ones? (indicate number as listed
in left-hand column).
¾ Have you found the materials you are familiar with to be useful? Why?
¾ Are you actually utilizing/using these materials in your work? Which ones?
¾ How are you utilizing/using these materials?
¾ Do you think utilization of these materials has had a positive impact on your work
and sphere of responsibilities?
¾ Are there other gender-related materials you are using that are not on this list? Please
indicate title and year if possible.
i. In your view, are the materials you are using the preferred way of receiving the information
required?
¾ If yes, why?
¾ If not, why?
¾ Which other means/channels would you prefer to receive the required
information?
j. In your view, do the UNFPA produced gender-related materials you are using adequately and
appropriately address your needs as the intended target audience?
k. If not how they should be improved to serve you better?
l. If you are not familiar with the listed materials, where do you get the state of art understanding
of gender related concepts and guidelines?

2. What in your view are criteria for improving the utility/usefulness of gender-related materials?
a. Content
b. Presentation
c. Other?

3. What in your view are criteria for improving the actual use/utilization of gender-related materials?
a. Facilitating availability/dissemination of materials.
b. Improving accessibility of materials.
c. Follow-up gender training?
d. Other?

68
APPENDIX XI: List of UNFPA Staff Interviewed (9-27 May 2005)72

NAME TITLE OFFICE

Alakbarov, Ramiz73 Programme specialist, DASE HQ
Barcelona, Delia Technical Adviser, RH Branch HQ
Belhadj-El Ghouayel, Deputy Director, TSD HQ
Hedia
Benhadid, Faiza* Gender & Socio-Cultural Adviser CST, Jordan
Bhatia, Kiran CST Adviser Nepal
Bologa, Doina National Programme Officer Romania
Borrero, Mercedes Programme Specialist, Latin America & Caribbean Division HQ
Collins, Lynn Gender Focal Point, HIV/AIDS branch, TSD HQ
Donnay, France Chief, RH Branch, TSD HQ
Fazil, Shahida Assistant UNFPA Representative Pakistan
Gardiner, Charlotte UNFPA Representative Eritrea
Guzman, Patricia Chief, Global Programmes and Policy Support Branch HQ
Herman, Ivan UNFPA Representative Guinea
Jackson, Janet Programme Adviser, DASE HQ
Jato, Myriam Gender Adviser, Africa Division HQ
McFarlane, Ian Special Assistant to Deputy Executive Director, Programme HQ
Melek, Maysoon Culture & Gender Adviser, CGHR Branch, TSD HQ
Mora, Luis CST Adviser Venezuela
Mukherji, Suneeta UNFPA Representative Bangladesh
Musoke, Bill Deputy Director, Asia& Pacific Division HQ
Onabanjo, Julitta Special Assistant to Executive Director, Office of the ED HQ
Palacios, Diego Senior Strategic Planning Adviser, Strategic Planning Office HQ
Pawliczko, Ann Technical Adviser HQ
Pettigrew, Ann Programme Analyst, DASE HQ
Rakotomala, Monique UNFPA Representative Ethiopia
Rueben-Mumba, Anna Gender Focal Point Zimbabwe
Tambashe, Basil UNFPA Representative CAR
Toure, Aminata Officer-in-Charge, CGHR Branch HQ

72
In alphabetical order. Name indicated with * means that questions were answered in writing.
73
DASE also answered the questions in writing.

69
APPENDIX XII. List of Participants in the Recommendations Development Workshop,
2 November 2005

Andersson, Bjorn
Bierring, Christina
Borrero, Mercedes
Brasseur, Oliver
Belhadj-El Ghouayel, Hedia
Fazil, Shahida
Fernandez Castilla, Rogelio
Jato, Miriam
Leidl, Patricia
Melek, Maysoon
Musoke, Bill
Obaid, Thoraya
Onabanjo, Juliatta
Pawliczko, Ann
Pettigrew, Ann
Pozdorovkina, Elena
Toure, Aminata

70